<h1>State chief minister praises national GST two-tier reform (5% and 18%) as early historic Diwali boost</h1> The state chief minister hailed recently approved national GST reforms as an 'early, historic Diwali gift' from the Prime Minister, describing a statutory overhaul that adopts a two-tier rate structure of 5% and 18%. The council-approved changes are presented as legally altering tax incidence on many goods and services, expected to lower prices of essentials, improve ease of doing business, and support self-reliance policies. The chief minister cited administrative impacts at the state level: a rise in registered taxpayers from 22,197 (2017) to 47,332 (2025) and GST collections increasing from Rs 1,463 crore to Rs 4,424 crore.