Jayakumar calls Stalin’s CM aspiration a pipe dream

“Stalin is having sleepless nights, dreaming of becoming the Chief Minister. His desperation shows. He’s trying to use even the tiniest of the opportunities that come by his way. 

His dreams will never materialise, and it would sure end up as a pipe dream,” Jayakumar told reporters at the Airport on Sunday. Later, on his return from participating at the GST Council meeting in Delhi, Jayakumar rued that it would be improper for him to comment on the Election Commission’s recommendation to register cases against cabinet ministers, including the Chief Minister, on bribing of voters in the countermanded by-poll to RK Nagar constituency, citing that he was not aware of the development. 

“The Centre had agreed to our demands on rolling out GST without affecting the stakeholders besides ensuring financial autonomy of the states,” he said. As for taxation of devices used by differently-abled, the Minister said they had insisted the Centre to reduce it to 5 per cent from the present 18 per cent and that he was hoping the Centre would do so. 

While representing the state at the GST Council, Jayakumar pressed a 23-charter demand, including tax-exemption for sago, roasted gram, sanitary napkin, branded food items sold in excess of 10 kg in wholesale, fishnet, fishnet twine, fish (dried, salted or in brine) and hand-made jewellery like silver anklet, silver toe ring and waist cord. 

The Minister also demanded that the cess should be restricted to motorcycles above 500 cc to be considered as luxury items.  Lowering the tax slab of safety matches (other than handmade) to 12 per cent, of fireworks to a lower slab from proposed 28 per cent and of tractor components to be reduced to 12 per cent from 28 per cent are among the few other things raked up at the GST meeting by him.