₹1,600cr GST refunds to be released before Diwali: Delhi CM

Rekha Gupta had convened a special meeting of the Department of Trade and Taxes (GST) at her camp office ‘Chief Minister Jan Seva Sadan’

Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday announced that nearly ₹1,600 crore of pending GST refunds to traders in the national capital will be released before Diwali. These refunds have been pending since 2019.

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta. (@gupta_rekha X)

“The previous government had failed to take any concrete measures towards the settlement of this long-pending amount. Taking serious note of the issue, we have issued clear directions that the entire refund be disbursed to traders before Diwali,” Gupta said.

“The Delhi GST department, in collaboration with IIT-Hyderabad, has developed an advanced IT module to make the refund process faster and more transparent. This system, based on data analytics, data automation, and expedited verification, will ensure quicker settlement of refund applications, providing timely relief to traders,” she added.

Gupta had convened a special meeting of the Department of Trade and Taxes (GST) at her camp office “Chief Minister Jan Seva Sadan.” The meeting was attended by GST commissioner Nandini Paliwal, finance secretary Shurveer Singh, and other senior officials of the department.

An official from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that Gupta has instructed officials to ensure that all pending genuine refund applications are processed strictly in accordance with rules, and that the task be completed on a priority basis.

“Timely refunds will ensure adequate liquidity for traders, reduce their litigation costs, and collectively accelerate Delhi’s economic growth. Strengthening Ease of Doing Business for traders is a top priority of the government,” she added.

She assured that her administration is making concrete efforts to protect and promote traders’ interests. “As part of this effort, we have also established a Traders’ Welfare Board, which includes appropriate representation from Delhi’s traders, ensuring that their issues and concerns are addressed in the truest sense,” Gupta added.

On June 15, the government had approved the formation of the Delhi Traders Welfare Board (DTWB) to empower the city’s trading community. While making the announcement at the Delhi Secretariat, Gupta had said the board is expected to benefit more than 800,000 registered traders. The BJP, in its election manifesto, had promised that it will establish trader welfare boards.