Agartala (Tripura) [India], September 30 : On the occasion of Maha Ashtami, former Chief Minister and current Member of Parliament Biplab Kumar Deb visited several Durga Puja pandals across Dharmanagar in North Tripura district on Tuesday.
During his visit, the former Chief Minister of Tripura emphasised that, despite time constraints, he makes an effort to visit as many Durga Pandals as possible.
"Every year, I try to visit as many Durga Puja pandals as possible across the state. Due to time constraints, it's not possible to cover all areas, but I make an effort to visit as many as I can," Deb told ANI.
The Tripura MP also said that after touring several pandals in Unakoti and North Tripura districts, he would return to Agartala later in the day.
Later, Deb expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the recent decision to reduce or remove the GST on several essential items, including medicines, during the festive season.
"This relief is the result of the Prime Minister's initiative," added Deb.
Additionally, the former Chief Minister of Tripura mentioned that awareness campaigns about GST are being conducted throughout the state. He also noted that legislators have been instructed to distribute leaflets related to GST among the public during the festive season.
Besides Tripura, other states are also discussing the effects of GST reforms on traders and business owners.
In Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Shivsena leader Milind Deora interacted with shopkeepers in Kalbadevi on Monday and encouraged them to adopt a 'swadeshi' approach.
Additionally, they also discussed GST reforms with traders. Shinde claimed that due to reduced GST rates, sales have increased, and traders are pleased with the GST reforms.
He also gave a call for Swadeshi."Traders and consumers are very happy because of reduced GST rates and are thanking Modi ji... The sales have increased, which is benefiting traders. Manufacturing has also increased, increasing employment. This entire chain is a call for swadeshi and represents a significant step towards an Atmanirbhar Bharat..." Shinde told ANI.
Earlier, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami interacted with shopkeepers and the traders in Garhi Cantt Market, Dehradun, as part of a public awareness campaign to promote the adoption of indigenous products and spread information about the new GST rates. During the visit, the Chief Minister sought suggestions and feedback from the public regarding the new GST slabs and encouraged them to inform others about the reduced GST rates.