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After Mamata’s GST ‘big blunder’ charge, why is Amit Mitra blaming the Centre

The former Bengal Finance Minister says CM’s anguish justified

2 min readKolkataDec 25, 2025 06:31 AM IST

Mamata GST big blunder charge, Amit Mitra, Mamata Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee, Goods and Services tax (GST), Kolkata news, WEst Bengal news, Indian express, current affairs

Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra

Days after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that agreeing to the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the advice of then state Finance Minister Amit Mitra was a “very big blunder”, Mitra on Wednesday said that a single tax regime would have saved the MSMEs had it been “transparently delivered”.

Calling the CM’s anguish over the “current mess” in the GST “rightly said”, Mitra said, “Mamata Banerjee, empathetic as she is to MSMEs, took a stand in favour of GST. Eight years later, a headline-grabbing, publicity-hungry central government launched GST from the Central Hall of Parliament (OPTICS only) in July 2017, when the computer system was not even close to ready. The GST Network was to process 300 CRORES of invoices, uplinked EVERY MONTH. A task, which the GSTN simply failed in & then came one ADMINISTRATIVE FAILURE of the Government of Indian after another,” Mitra, who was state Finance Minister from 2011 to 2021, posted on X.

Recently, during her visit to North Bengal, the chief minister said, “I believe the GST should be revoked. Amit Mitra had convinced me earlier, and I had agreed, but that was a mistake, a very big blunder.”

The advice Mamata was referring to could have been offered by Mitra while he was chairperson of the empowered committee of state finance ministers, which worked out the details of the GST before its imposition in 2017.

Atri Mitra

Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain. Experience Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express. Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news. Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions. Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal. Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla. Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent. Education Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting. Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More

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