The revised deadline (June 30) for merchants to delete customer card details is fast approaching. One hopes that this time RBI will not give any fresh extension.

The mandate implies that many merchants are storing the card details of customers ostensibly to help customers repeat transactions without entering card details each time. This entails risks. Merchants cannot ‘facilitate’ customers this way.

In any case this cannot be done without the customer’s consent. While merchants claim to obtain consent, it is often tucked away in small print. More importantly, the default option must always be ‘do not store’. RBI must act sternly and swiftly.

V Vijaykumar

Pune

GST verdict: A Pandora’s box?

Apropos 'Ruling will not have any bearing on GST functioning, says government' ( May 20), the Centre reportedly claiming that the ruling by the Supreme Court on the applicability of the GST Council recommendation does not have any bearing on the indirect tax regime, which has been in place since July 1, 2017, could be more “self-assuring”. The government no lost time in categorically stating that the “Apex Court has observed that while the recommendation of the GST Council has persuasive value for primary legislation, i.e. framing of the law, the recommendations of the GST Council are binding so far as subordinate legislation is concerned, i.e., issue of notification, framing of rules, prescribing rates and taxes, etc”.

However, it also goes without saying that the SC striking down the levying of Integrated Goods & Services Tax (IGST) on ‘Ocean Freight’, thus giving relief to importers, in an appeal by the Centre against the Gujarat High Court ruling on Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST), may not be an “ordinary” development.

This may also create some fissures amongst the BJP and non-BJP ruled States and also open up a 'Pandora's box' in the near future, much against the spirit of the “collaborative and cooperative federalism” based GST regime. Let us hope that both the Centre and States rise to the occasion and not succumb to the usual politicking.

Vinayak G

New Delhi

Ensure cooperative spirit

Regardless of whether the Supreme Court’s verdict that the recommendations of GST Council are not binding on the Centre and States is consequential on the functioning of GST regime or not, it could effectively deter the Centre from riding a rough shod over the concerns of the States when it comes to framing rules, and prescribing taxes.

Despite the fact that GST Council functioning on the principle of consensus, opposition ruled States have a legitimate concern that Centre has been arbitrarily imposing its decisions on them. This verdict can ensure decisions of GST council are based on consensus and cannot be thrust upon States.

M Jeyaram

Sholavandan (TN)

Merits of carbon farming 

Apropos ‘Why carbon is the ‘crop’ of the future’ (May 20), akin to sheep penning, cattle penning is more prevalent in southern districts of Tamil Nadu. Post harvest season, bovine animals are kept in the fallow land overnight and this gets repeated for a day or two. This practice enables collection and storage of dung and urine directly in the field. Urine is absorbed by soil and while dung and litter are scattered over the land.

Cattle urine and dung form valuable natural fertiliser and cow urine acts as natural pesticide. Farmers prefer cattle penning for making seedbeds of rice, sugarcane and other root crops which require heavy manuring. Indian farmers have been following this old practice even before 'organic farming' and 'carbon release' came into existence.

While a few North-eastern States like Sikkim and Meghalaya lead the way in ‘carbon farming’, other States too can emulate this model. State agriculture departments have a key role to play in enthusing the farmers to switch over to organic farming in a phased manner to increase their farm produce with high value nutritional contents.

RV Baskaran

Chennai

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