Chicken to tea: Many mass items to cost more

With the Centre proposing a goods and services tax (GST) band that has a 6 per cent rate at the lower end and 26 per cent at the upper end, several essential items such as edible oils, gram products, other pulses products, chicken, tea and coffee will see taxation rising from the present combined tax incidence of 3-5 per cent to 6 per cent, if the proposals are accepted.