Rain, not GST affects sale of sweets on Bijoya Dashami

Kolkata: Rain and not GST affected the sale of sweets during Bijoya Dashami celebrations when Bengalis visit each other and savour sweets, some leading confectioners of the city have claimed.

Partha Mullick of leading sweetmeat shop 'Balaram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick' said, "GST would not have affected the sale of sweets on the occasion of Bijoya Dashami. But rain was the spoilsport on all important festivals of Bengal - from Raksha Bandhan to Bijoya Dashami this year."

"The sale was hit due to rain this puja as some of the customers could not come to our outlets when it rained," he said.

Sudip Nandy of 'Girish Chandra Dey and Nakur Chandra Nandy' said that despite the rise in the price of sweets due to GST, customers are ready to pay more for quality sweets.

"But the intermittent rain somehow hindered the flow of customers since Saturday, the day of Bijoya Dashami," he said.

The old sweetmeat shop is famous for its wide range of 'Sandesh' preparations, a favourite dessert of Bengalis.

However, both the shops refused to divulge details about their sales.

While confirming that the sale of sweets on Bijoya Dashami was mostly affected due to rain, a spokesman of 'Paschim Banga Mistanno Byabsayee Samity', an organisation of sweetmeat shops in West Bengal, however said, "We will launch a bigger movement against GST on sweets after the ongoing festive season."

Since July 1 this year, sweetmeat shops in Bengal had to bear 5 per cent tax on popular sweets like Rosogolla, Sandesh, Jal Bhara, Pantua, Rabri. Some sweets, with Kesar (saffron) and silver coating, fell in the category of 18 per cent GST.