GST On Flour Mills

A visit to a Tata Tea garden in the region sowed the seed of the idea of plastic packaging in the mind of Kedia and his brothers

Instant mixes, including idli, dosa and khaman flour, cannot be classified as chhatua or sattu and 18 per cent GST should be levied on them, the Gujarat Appellate Authority for Advance Ruling (GAAAR) has ruled. Gujarat-based Kitchen Express Overseas Ltd had approached the AAAR against the ruling by the GST advance authority, saying that its seven 'instant flour mixes' are not 'ready to eat' but are required to undergo certain cooking procedures and can be termed 'ready to cook'. The company sells flour mixes of gota, khaman, dalwada, dahi-wada, dhokla, idli and dosa in powder form and pleaded that it is akin to Sattu and should attract Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5 per cent. The GAAAR rejected the appellant's contention, saying that ingredients which go into the making of 'instant flour mixes" are not covered under the relevant GST rules as is the case with Sattu. According to a CBIC circular, small amounts of ingredients, which are mixed to make Sattu, are specified in the GST

Many flour mills have shut down their factories due to concerns over business viability