In a last minute development, over 35,000 officials of the Central Excise and Service Tax departments have put on hold a demonstration planned for Friday over the design of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

The Finance Ministry, which had issued stern warnings to the officials earlier, had to soften its stance on Thursday, assuring the discontent officials that their demands will be considered and career prospects will be maintained.

“We have a full schedule of protests planned. But Friday’s lunch hour demonstration has been deferred after the Central Board of Excise and Customs assured us that there will be no cut in manpower and our career prospects will be maintained under GST,” said R Chandramouli, President, All India Association of Central Excise Gazetted Executive Officers, stressing that they welcome GST.

Opposing the plan for passing administrative control over businesses with an annual threshold between Rs. 20 lakh and Rs. 1.5 crore to States under GST, the Association of over 35,000 officers had called for a one hour “peaceful” demonstration at all headquarters offices across the country on Friday and mass casual leave on Budget Day.

It stressed that all central excise and service tax assessees above the annual turnover of Rs. 20 lakh should be controlled by the Centre and its officials.