149 Temples Under GST Reach In Telangana?:- The devotees visiting major temples have to pay more from July. The major temples, which have more than Rs 20 lakh annual revenue, are brought under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) reach.

In the State of Telangana, there are 149 such temples. The Section 73 of the GST Act states that renting of rooms, where charges are Rs 1,000 or more per day, renting of premises, community halls, Kalyana Mandapam or open area where charges are Rs 10,000 or more per day, will attract 18% tax.

But, whether the GST will be collected on Argitaseva tickets or other services extended by the temples is still not clear.  There are 149 temples that earn over Rs 20 lakh annual revenue, said Telangana Endowment Minister A. Indrakaran Reddy. Out of the 149, 16 temples had over Rs 1 crore annual revenue, while three had over Rs 25 lakh annual revenue, he said. However, it is not clear as to which services will attract GST in these temples. The raw material for the preparation of prasadams will cost more, said the officials. For example, 5% GST was imposed on cashew nuts, and 12% GST on ghee.

Through the selling of prasadams, argitaseva and others, money from hundis, lease from lands and other sources., the temples get revenue. Whether the income of temple through hundis will also come under taxable revenue or not is not clear, said the officials. The State Government, earlier, used to give tax exemptions to temples. But, the government has started collecting GST from temples from now on. Some famous temples that come under GST purview are :

- Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam, Yadagirigutta, Nalgonda district;

- Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Devasthanam, Bhadrachalam, Khammam district;

- Sri Gnana Saraswathi Ammavari Devasthanam, Basara in Adilabad district;

- Sri Yellamma Pochamma Devasthanam, Balkampet, Hyderabad and others.

SUPRAJA