THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Hereafter, transporting gold worth above Rs 2 lakhs to all states will need a special certificate and E-Way bill. The GST council will convene a meeting today in Delhi and will approve the law to come into place. The suggestion to bring in the law was given by Kerala's finance minister K N Balagopal-headed committee.

Whether to sell or use, the bill should mention in clear terms the purpose for transporting such prized chunks of yellow metal. If the rule is violated, a case will be charged for evading income tax. A special vigilance team will be formed in every state to stop such violations.

Earlier, E-Waybill was made mandatory for all goods transported to the state that was worth above Rs 50,000, but gold was omitted from the list. After the implementation of GST, the tax received from the gold business was paltry which has forced government for the reform. Interestingly, it was Kerala that tabled the idea for consideration. Meanwhile, Gujarat and Bihar showed dissonance with the move and advocated for covert business moves when it comes to gold. Thus every state will have the right to decide on the plan, and the council will allow complete authority for state governments in the process.

Kerala sees Rs 40000 crore gold business every year, but the tax received is improper and falls largely behind. The Kerala government believes, this move to stop illegal gold businesses from running rampant in the state.