Thiruvananthapuram: The GST department has failed to answer whether or not the IGST was paid for the payment of the services rendered by Veena Vijayan’s Exalogic Solutions to the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL). The answer to the RTI filed states that as per section 8 (1) (e) of the RTI Act, information available to a person in his fiduciary relationship is exempted from disclosure. It clarified that the information provided by the taxpayer to the department is private and that it does not serve majority interest. 

Sebastian Palakatthara, a Kerala Independent Workers Union leader, sought the information under the Right to Information (RTI) act. The question was whether the IGST was paid for the amount transacted and whether the state received the GST share. A countersigned copy of the transaction receipt was also sought.

Meanwhile, MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan accused the department of strange procedures. He said that the reply given to the RTI is evasive. The transaction of Rs 1.72 crore between Veena’s Exalogic solutions and CMRL has been admitted but CPM says that the tax of the same has been paid, thus making it legal. However, the state secretariat could not show proof of this.