Bhubaneswar, June 4: Finance minister Sashi Bhushan Behera has urged the Centre to exempt handloom and handicraft products from the purview of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Behera raised the demand at the GST council meeting in New Delhi yesterday to protect the interests of weavers and craftsmen from the state.

At present, handloom products, such as Sambalpuri, Bomkei, Manibandha and Tussar sarees manufactured by weavers, are exempt from value added tax (VAT).

Handicraft products, such as appliqué, stone works, woodworks, terracotta products, patta paintings and tribal handmade products, have also been kept out of the purview of VAT.

But since value added tax is going to be replaced by GST from July 1, it has become imperative for the state government to try and save more than 3.5 lakh weaver and artisan families of the state from the burden of the new tax.

Hence, Behera proposed at the GST council meeting that the handloom and handicraft sectors be kept out of the purview of GST.