Sidelined BJP neta Pankaja Munde's factory gets Rs 19cr GST notice

MUMBAI: Sidelined BJP leader Pankaja Munde faced a new setback with her Vaidyanath Sugar Factory reportedly receiving a notice for GST arrears worth Rs 19 crore as well as possible attachment of factory property. Munde, a former state minister, has denied any wrongdoing and said the factory, located in Beed district, was going through financial distress.

She also took a veiled dig at the Centre, which is led by her party, and said other factories that had applied for financial aid from the cooperative department received it, but her factory was the only one excluded.

Munde said, "The figures mentioned in the notice relate to interest. The process began a few months ago and we have been cooperating with the authorities." She added, "The factory is in financial distress owing to the successive droughts. It is under liquidation and has been mortgaged to the bank."

"Around eight-nine factories had applied to the central government for financial aid. My factory was the only one which did not get it. If it had received the aid, we would not have had to face this today," she said.

Munde, daughter of late BJP stalwart Gopinath Munde, was sidelined within the party after the rise of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. She lost the assembly polls in 2019 and has since maintained a low profile.

NCP leader Supriya Sule took the opportunity to slam the BJP. Defending Munde, Sule posted on X (formerly Twitter), "This shows how the party is unfair to its old loyalists and only promotes new entrants. Other BJP factories received the Centre's aid but her factory was excluded. It was not part of the tax waiver scheme either. Her factory did not receive government guarantees for fresh loans." She also pointed out that the MVA government had helped Munde's factory.