The GST Council meeting started here on Saturday and is likely to discuss setting up of appellate tribunals, and mechanism to curb tax evasion in pan masala and gutkha business, among other matters.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is chairing the 49th meeting of the GST Council.

"Along with the Union Finance Minister, Union Minister of State for Finance Shri @mppchaudhary, besides Finance Ministers of States & UTs (with legislature) and Senior officers from Union Government & States are also attending the meeting,” the finance ministry said in a tweet.

The items, which could not be discussed by the Council in its last meeting on December 17, 2022, would top the agenda of the Saturday meeting, sources said.

The report of the Group of Ministers (GoM), headed by Odisha finance minister Niranjan Pujari, on checking tax evasion by pan masala and gutkha industry is also likely to be taken up for discussion, they said.

A GoM on Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunals (GSTATs) was set up in July last year under the chairmanship of Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala.

The GoM has suggested that the tribunals should consist of two judicial members, and one technical member each from the Centre and states, besides a retired Supreme Court judge as president.

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