Call to withdraw 1 pc additional surcharge on State GST

Malladi Vishnu, YSR Congress Party’s Vijayawada Central constituency coordinator and former MLA, has accused the State government of preparing to impose financial burdens on the public under the pretext of flood relief. He expressed strong discontent over Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s request to the Central government for a one-per cent additional surcharge on the State GST, characterising it as an unreasonable burden on the already struggling populace.
During a press conference here on Sunday, Vishnu criticised the coalition government for its failure to secure the necessary funds from the Centre, stating that shifting the financial burden onto citizens is inappropriate. He raised pointed questions about the management of hundreds of crores in donations received for flood relief efforts, questioning where those funds had gone. Instead of seeking assistance for a state already in debt, Vishnu remarked that it was peculiar for the government to request tax cooperation.
Vishnu noted that the government is essentially telling flood victims that they will be taxed to aid their recovery, a situation he claims is unprecedented in the country. He questioned the estimates provided by Central teams regarding flood damage and called for the State government to release a White Paper detailing the assistance provided to victims, as well as the total donations received and the aid announced by the Centre.
Vishnu lamented that rising prices of essential goods and increased electricity charges have made it increasingly difficult for ordinary citizens to make ends meet. He warned that if the government moved forward with additional taxation, there would be no viable living conditions for people in the State, urging immediate withdrawal of the proposed one percent increase on GST surcharge. He added that if the government did not heed these warnings, the YSRCP would launch a large-scale movement against such measures.