Bengaluru, July 24 -- Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah convened a meeting on Wednesday with traders and commercial organisations to address mounting concerns over GST notices issued by the Commercial Taxes Department to small businesses across the state.

The Chief Minister announced that the government would waive GST arrears accumulated over the past three years, a decision that led to the immediate suspension of ongoing trader protests.

However, he emphasised that all eligible businesses must register under the GST framework and maintain compliance with future tax obligations.

Siddaramaiah clarified that essential commodities including milk, bread, vegetables, coconut, tender coconut, meat, flowers, and agricultural products sol...