GST row : LA panel fails to reach consensus over deferring session
The Legislative Assembly didn’t clear the calendar for the Session that has been called on June 17 after the opposition called for deferring the session.
Speaker, Kavinder Gupta, held a meeting with the party leaders of different political parties here today, but no decision was taken on the days for which the Assembly Session will be held. The meeting was held here early morning, but it was for the first time that no calendar was discussed in the meeting.
Instead the Speaker had decided that a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) will be convened, a hour before the Session is scheduled to begin on June 17 to decide on the number of days that it could be run. Congress MLA and BAC member, Vikar Rasool, told Kashmir Vision that the calendar of the business of the house couldn’t be finalized in view of the differences about the time for which the Session can be run.
He said that instead the BAC meeting will be held on the same day the session will be held to decide on the number of days it could be run. He said that the Advisory Committee meeting will be convened an hour before the Assembly Session. BJP has been pressing for the implementation of the GST at the earliest, while NC, Congress and PDP have held that the “special constitutional of the status shouldn’t be violated’’ after the GST implementation in the state.
NC Provincial President, Nasir Aslam Wani, quoted Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, earlier stating in the all party meeting on Tuesday that the session could be deferred. NC has voiced its opposition on the plea that the GST bill does not safeguard the fiscal autonomy of the state and Article 370 of the state will get eroded.
Congress said that since “people have apprehensions in implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) by the government, all the stakeholders and opposition political parties should have been taken on board before the draft bill was passed in the Assembly.’’
Congress MLA, Vikar Rasool, said that it was for the first time that the uncertainty prevails over the holding of Assembly Session in the session in view of the concerns raised by the parties that the GST could violate the special status of the state.
CPI (M) State secretary and independent legislators from Kulgam, M Y Tarigami said that anything, which erodes the fiscal autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir will be unacceptable to the party.
Opposition parties have sought more time to look into the issue before the PDP-BJP government decides on the implementation of the GST in the state.
KV Correspondent
