Panel Of Ministers Mulls 1% Cess On Luxury Items, Tobacco To Help Farmers

A group of ministers headed by Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is mulling a 1 percent agricultural cess on luxury goods to raise funds to help distressed farmers, a senior government official said. The cess, the official said, would depend on Attorney General KK Venugopal’s view on whether any authority has the powers to levy it — be it the government or the GST Council. It could be lev…