Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 21 : Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech on the implementation of next-generation GST reforms on Sunday, stating that the GST budget festival has arrived and that the poor can now purchase expensive items.
Speaking to ANI, the UP Deputy CM said, "First, one nation, one tax GST was implemented. Now, the GST budget festival has arrived. The poor can also buy expensive things because they no longer have to pay the price they had to pay before."
He further praised PM Modi for linking the reforms to the idea of Swadeshi, recalling that Mahatma Gandhi first initiated the movement during the freedom struggle. "Prime Minister Modi has called for adopting Swadeshi. The Swadeshi movement was started by the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. This will lead to a self-reliant and developed India," Maurya said.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to adopt Swadeshi and prioritise Made in India products, as the newly approved Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms come into effect from September 22, the first day of 'Shardiya Navaratri'.
"We need to make every home a symbol of Swadeshi... every shop should be adorned with Swadeshi products," the Prime Minister said in his address to the nation.
Calling the GST reforms a "Bachat Utsav", Modi appealed to people to buy products made in India, saying they carry the hard work and "sweat" of the country's youth. "We should buy products that are Made-In-India... in which the hard work of our country's youth is involved... the sweat of our country's sons and daughters," he said.
The Prime Minister said the GST reforms reflect the Union Government's "Nagrik Devo Bhava" mantra and will result in substantial savings for the public. "We are moving forward by following the mantra of 'Nagrik Devo Bhava', and we can see its reflection in the next generation's GST reforms. If we combine the income tax exemption and the GST exemption, the decisions made in one year will save the people of the country more than Rs 2.5 lakh crore, and that's why I say, 'This is a savings festival,'" he said.
Emphasising self-reliance as the path to a developed India, Modi said the reduction in GST rates will directly benefit small businesses and MSMEs. "To reach the goal of a developed India, we must walk on the path of self-reliance, and a very big responsibility to make India self-reliant also lies on our MSMEs. What is needed by the people of the country, what we can make in our own country, we should make right here in the country... The reduction in GST rates and the simplification of rules and procedures will greatly benefit our MSMEs, small industries, and cottage industries," he added.
He also drew a parallel between Swadeshi during the independence movement and the drive for economic strength.
"Their sales will increase, and they will have to pay less tax, meaning they will also receive a double benefit... Just as the country's independence gained strength from the mantra of Swadeshi... similarly, the country's prosperity will also gain strength from the mantra of Swadeshi alone," he said.