Chandigarh, Sep 22 (PTI) The Agarwal community has always rendered great services to the society, nation and humanity as a whole, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Monday.

He said the Haryana government as well as the Centre are following the path of Maharaja Agrasen, the legendary king considered to be the progenitor of the Agarwal community, and working on the principle of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' (with all, for development of all) .

Inspired by Maharaja Agrasen's inclusive and far-sighted vision, the state government is endeavouring to make every individual self-reliant through its schemes, he said.

Saini was addressing a gathering at 'Maharaja Agrasen Jayanti', organised in Panchkula under a Haryana government scheme to honour saints and great personalities and disseminate their ideas.

He also extended Navratri greetings to people on the occasion.

Referring to the community's glorious history, the chief minister said it has always rendered great services not only to the society and the nation, but to the humanity as a whole.

Listing eminent personalities from the community, he said the contribution of its members could be seen in whichever field one looks, and especially in trade and industry.

In the last few years, the Haryana government has taken several important steps to create a favourable environment for industry and trade, and due to these efforts, the state has become the first choice for investors from India and abroad, Saini said.

To resolve traders' issues, the Haryana Vyapari Kalyan Board has been established.

The government has named the Hisar airport after Maharaja Agrasen so that future generations would remember his ideals and principles, he said.

Saini said the Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms are being implemented across the country from Monday, bringing special enthusiasm to the trading community.

The Agarwal community will send a letter of thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for these reforms, he said.

At its recent meeting, the GST Council has decided to simplify the tax structure and reduce rates on several common goods and services from September 22, which is the first day of Navratri. The GST will now be a two-tier structure, wherein a majority of goods and services will attract the lower 5 and 18 per cent tax. A 40 per cent tax will be levied on ultra luxury items, while tobacco and related products will continue to be in the 28 per cent plus cess category.

Saini said an online e-refund facility has been created for traders.

In the field of taxation, facilities like e-registration, e-payment of tax, e-filing of returns, e-tendering, and issuance of C-Form online have been started.

Under the Chief Minister's Urban Ownership Scheme, the ownership rights of municipal shops and houses that have been on rent, lease or licence fee for more than 20 years have been given to the persons occupying them.

The e-Way Bill Yojana has been launched for inter-state movement of goods to convenience traders.

Under the Prime Minister's Pension Scheme for Small Traders, a minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000 has been ensured for retailers and shopkeepers who attain the age of 60 years.

Elaborating on the schemes for industrialists, Saini said that a separate MSME Department has been set up for the welfare of small and medium traders.

A GST Facilitation Cell has been established in Gurugram to support start-ups. This cell provides end-to-end assistance to start-ups -- from registration to returns filing.

Similarly, an MSME GST Facilitation Cell has been established in Panchkula. This helps small entrepreneurs comply with GST requirements, the chief minister said.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Vipul Goel and Independent MLA Savitri Jindal were present at the event.

Later in the day, the chief minister interacted with shopkeepers and traders during a programme organised in the main market of Ladwa in Kurukshetra district.

The objective of the statewide 'GST Bachat Utsav' is not only to disseminate information about tax reforms but also to encourage people to adopt Indian-made goods and promote the spirit of 'swadeshi', he said. PTI SUN RUK RUK