Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday announced that nearly Rs 1,600 crore in GST refunds pending since 2019 will be released before Diwali, enabling traders to celebrate the festival with greater joy and prosperity.

The chief minister on Sunday convened a special meeting of the Department of Trade and Taxes (GST) at her camp office in Civil Lines, which was attended by GST Commissioner Nandini Paliwal, Finance Secretary Shurveer Singh, and other senior officials of the department.

Claiming that the previous (AAP) government failed to take any concrete measures towards the settlement of this long-pending amount, Gupta directed that the entire refund amount be disbursed to the traders before Diwali.