Chandigarh, Nov. 3 -- Punjab has registered a 21.51% increase in net Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection up to October 2025, along with a 14.46% growth for the month of October alone, state finance, planning, excise and taxation minister Harpal Singh Cheema said on Sunday. The minister commended the state's strong fiscal performance despite the impact of widespread floods and the recent rationalisation of tax rates under the GST 2.0. Giving details, Cheema said the state collected Rs.15,683.59 crore in net GST from April to October 2025, compared to Rs.12,907.31 crore during the same period last year - an increase of Rs.2,776 crore. In contrast, the growth rate up to October 2024 in FY 2024-25 had been a modest 3.8%, he added. The minister said Punjab's net GST collection for October 2025 stood at Rs.2,359.16 crore, up from Rs.2,061.23 crore in October 2024, marking a rise of Rs.298 crore. The steady increase, he said, reflects continued economic momentum in the state. Cheema said this growth was achieved even after the implementation of GST 2.0 reforms in September 2025, which lowered several tax slabs. "Despite the reduction in tax rates and the challenges posed by floods, Punjab's GST revenue surged," he said....