Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao directed officials to ensure that all the traders in the state migrate to the GST regime by July end.

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday directed the officials to ensure that all the traders in the state migrate to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime by July end.

In the first 15 days itself 90 per cent VAT accounts have been brought under the new GST jurisdiction. Of the total 2.16 lakh traders under VAT in the state, 1.92 lakh were integrated under the GST by July 15 and got their numbers, an official release said.

"The CM has congratulated the officials for creating awareness among the people, getting a record number of traders under the GST within a short time of 15 days. The CM wants 100 per cent registration by the end of this month," it said.

The release, quoting Rao, said the CM was upset as the Centre did not consider exemption or concessions to granite, textiles, beedi industry on which rural populace largely depends for livelihood.

The CM hoped that the GST Council would respond positively to the requests made by it, the release said. Rao said this issue has been raised by the state in the GST Council and he also wrote a letter to the PM in this regard.

The CM instructed officials to organise statewide conferences to educate people on the positive aspects of the GST.

Meetings are being organised for the IT sector, real estate, catering business, textile traders, commission agents, small traders and a toll free number was also launched to clear the doubts regarding the GST, it added.