Chandigarh, Mar 18 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini rejected the opposition's claim on Wednesday that the rise of online shopping is adversely affecting small traders.

He said there is no evidence of distress among small traders.

Saini said in fact, the expansion of digital payments has strengthened small businesses and widened access to formal transactions at the grassroots.

During the Question Hour in the Assembly, Congress MLA Balwan Singh Doulatpuria sought to know whether it was a fact that the business of small shopkeepers in Haryana is being adversely affected due to the rising trend of online shopping.

Saini said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, India has emerged as a major force in digital transactions, with even street vendors and hawkers now using UPI-based payment systems.

No difficulty is being faced by any trader or shopkeeper, the chief minister said, adding that if there is a problem, it is only for the Congress.

On the second part of Doulatpuria's question -- whether there is any proposal under the government's consideration to impose a heavy tax on online shopping to support local small-scale retailers -- the Assembly was informed that such proposals are initiated, examined and recommended by the GST Council, which is the constitutional body empowered to make recommendations on tax rates and policy changes under the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Referring to the COVID-19 period, Saini said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre had provided interest-free loans of up to Rs 10,000 to street vendors to ensure that they did not face any hardship.

Taking a swipe at the opposition, he said a majority of the Congress MLAs were not even present in the House during the Question Hour.

The opposition appears so frustrated and disheartened that its members did not even come to hear the replies to their own questions, Saini said.

If they are not present for that, how will they effectively raise the issues of people in the House? he asked. PTI SUN RC

GST Council authority over tax rates affirmed; no unilateral state proposal to impose heavy tax on online shopping. The Chief Minister denied evidence of small-trader distress from online shopping, emphasised digital payments' strengthening effect on small businesses, cited interest-free loans to street vendors during COVID-19 as support measures, and stated that proposals to change tax rates on online shopping are initiated, examined and recommended by the GST Council under the GST framework.