Team Herald

PANJIM: In a bid to salvage the tiatr and nataks (traditional folk drama) from the GST burden, Minister Vijai Sardesai has decided to compile detailed data to place a strong case before the GST Council. 

Sardesai petitioned Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday urging him to keep the two popular forms of drama out of the GST bracket. “We need to protect our culture and Goemkarponn. I have therefore requested the CM to take suo motu cognisance of the matter and exempt them from GST,” he said speaking to Herald following a two-hour meeting with the CM at the latter’s official residence, Altinho. 

Claiming that the CM has in principle accepted his plea, he said he was asked to submit ‘facts and figures’ to strengthen the case before the GST council. “We are preparing a strong case to get the decision in favour of tiatr and natak industry,” Vijai said.

 We will compile details on the total number of shows held every year, crowd attending the shows, how many people it employs, etc. I have already called for details from Ravindra Bhavan. This will be supporting data to our petition to the GST council,” he said. 

Sardesai assured to complete the exercise at the earliest in order to ensure immediate relief to the theatre artists.