Mumbai, Oct 21 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief minister Ajit Pawar who heads a group of state-level ministers formed to rectify shortcomings in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has asked officials to create a mechanism to curb fraudulent registrations and tax evasion, a statement said here on Thursday.Pawar, who is the Finance Minister of Maharashtra, held an online meeting with his counterparts from other states, it said.The Union Finance Ministry has formed this central-level Group of Deputy Chief Ministers and Finance Ministers under Pawar"s leadership.Suggestions were received from many states about how to strengthen the GST, and central and state-level officials of GSTN (GST Network) have been directed to prepare a comprehensive report within a month after reviewing the suggestions received from the remaining states, the statement quoted Pawar as saying. The report will be tabled at the next meeting of the Standing Group of Ministers for GSTN Reforms, after which the Group of Ministers (GoM) will make appropriate recommendations to the GST Council, he said. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, Chhattisgarh Trade Tax Minister T S Singhdev, Finance Minister of Tamil Nadu Palanivel Thiagarajan, Chief Executive Officer of GSTN Manish Sinha and senior officials of GSTN attended the meeting online.“Through Information Technology, we are trying to make the system stronger and more capable by removing the flaws in the GSTN system. Many states have sent useful suggestions for this,” Pawar said.He also directed officials to create a mechanism to facilitate expeditious disposal of tax returns, to conduct analysis of taxpayers" information to detect frauds and to provide useful information on GSTN to the concerned states, the statement said.The meeting also discussed the issue of safeguarding the interests of the states in the context of GST. Sisodia, Chautala, Singhdev, Palanivel presented their views in the meeting, the statement said.The GoM will make recommendations from time to time on current issues such as simplification of GST filing process, verification of information provided by taxpayers, prevention of tax evasion, efficient use of information technology to make the tax system efficient, flawless; and mechanisms for coordination between central and state tax authorities.A meeting had been earlier held on October 6 with the officials of the GSTN to decide the modus operandi and direction of the GoM.In that meeting, Pawar had instructed officials to invite opinions, suggestions and amendments from other states regarding GSTN reforms. PTI PR KRK KRK