The prices of several household items have gone up since Monday with the GST Council, headed by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, increasing the Goods and Service tax rate. Kolkatans will also have to pay extra to buy essential items like curd, lassi, buttermilk, paneer, wheat and rice from today. Even the rates of pre-packaged and labeled goods have gone up. Significantly, these products will attract 5% GST from Monday.

The prices of many household items have increased since Monday with the increase in the Goods and Service Tax rate by the GST Council, headed by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Kolkatans will also have to pay extra to buy essential items like curd, lassi, buttermilk, paneer, wheat and rice from today. Even the rates of pre-packaged and labeled goods have gone up. Significantly, these products will attract 5% GST from Monday, although Biswanath Agarwal, general secretary of the Post Bazar Merchants Association, said that they will have to see a government circular in this regard. Agarwal said, "There is no clarity about levying GST on packaged flour. We have opposed this move of the government. We will know about the process on Monday."
Explain that if, any agricultural or dairy product is sold open or packaged in front of the customers, then it will continue to be exempted from GST. Earlier only branded packaged rice came under the purview of GST. But now, all unbranded, pre-packaged rice, rice flour and wheat flour will come under GST.

How much GST will be levied on products like paneer, curd and lassi
It is worth noting that products like paneer, curd, lassi and buttermilk will also come under the purview of 5% GST as per the notification of the government. On the other hand, puffed rice or chira, cooked rice or bagasse, sugar-coated parched rice or murki, and rice flour, which is often used in many Bengali households, will also be subject to GST. Let us tell you that most of the puffed and beaten rice sold in the Bengal market comes in sealed, unbranded packets. Rice flour is also sold in sealed and unbranded packets.