Bhubaneswar: Odisha Finance Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha is likely to reiterate the demand for withdrawal of GST over Kendu leaf during the 50th GST Council Meeting to be held at Delhi today. Odisha has been demanding to the Center for long to withdraw the 18 percent GST imposed on Kendu Leaf and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also written a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman earlier.
About eight lakh tribals are engaged as Kendu leaf pluckers and binders in Odisha whose livelihood is affected by the imposition GST on it.