Gorakhpur/Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hailed the Centre’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms as a “next-generation tax revolution”, while Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav called those a “betrayal of the public”. Adityanath thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the GST rate cut, saying the two-slab structure of 5 per cent and 18 per cent would ease household expenses, strengthen purchasing power and accelerate India’s journey towards self-reliance. Essential items like food, medicines and educational material will attract 0 to 5 per cent GST, while luxury goods will face a 40-per cent tax.

Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak also welcomed the move, with the former calling it an “important step to simplify the lives of 1.4 billion Indians” and the latter describing it as a “Navratri gift” to the country.

Member of the Legislative Council and former Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) vice-chancellor Tariq Mansoor said the reforms would simplify business structures, boost entrepreneurship and generate jobs.

Business leaders echoed the sentiment, with Anjani Kumar Pandey of Omaxe Limited praising the government’s “visionary leadership” and commitment to ease of doing business, while Yawar Ali Shah of AMA Herbal said the decision would help exporters, boost disposable income and strengthen the economy in the coming quarters.

However, the SP chief slammed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of “looting” citizens for 10 years through a “flawed GST regime” that has fuelled inflation and unemployment.

“The poor, farmers and middle class have been crushed, while the government has overtaxed people and betrayed their trust,” Yadav said, addressing party workers in Lucknow.

Earlier in the day, Adityanath asserted that the GST reforms would give fresh momentum to agriculture, MSMEs, startups, women entrepreneurs and youngsters.

Faster refunds, simpler compliance and easier registration will ease business operations, while greater transparency in tax administration will strengthen investor confidence, he said.

The chief minister added that the reforms will help control inflation, spur consumption in sectors such as automobiles and construction, and create lakhs of jobs.

Calling it a “historic, transformative decision”, he said, “The people of Uttar Pradesh wholeheartedly thank the prime minister and the finance minister for scripting a new chapter in India’s tax system.”