Govt calls Assembly Session from 4 July to clear GST
State government has called the Assembly Session from 4 July to clear the goods and services tax (GST) after consensus eluded in the all party meeting which was held on Thursday.
As per the calendar which was issued by the Assembly Secretariat today Speaker, Kavinder Gupta, has in the exercise of powers conferred upon him by the constitution of the state reconvened the Assembly Session from 4th July 10 am.
The Session was earlier adjourned sine die as the Opposition protested the implementation of the GST in the state, contending that it will violate the special status of the state.
A notification which was issued by the Secretary of the Legislative Assembly, M R Singh, read that under third proviso to rule 16 of rules of procedure and conduct of business in the Jammu and Kashmir legislative Assembly, the Assembly Session was being reconvened.
The bulletin has been conveyed to all the MLAs and the security officials. According to officials the PDP-BJP coalition has the numbers to pass the State Goods and Services tax (SGST) bill in the Assembly, while the nod of the government was required for extension of the constitutional amendment 101 to the state.
The session is however likely to be fiery as the Opposition NC and Congress have objected to the application of the Central Goods and Services tax (CGST) and Integrated Goods and Services tax (IGST) to the state, contending that this will usurp the state of its constitutional autonomy.
Opposition parties including NC and Congress have opposed the extension of the GST to the state. Congress party has said that it is committed to the stand taken in 2012-13 state Cabinet on GST and has held that adequate safeguards should be incorporated in GST regime as was proposed by the then Cabinet in 2012-13.
It has sought that a mechanism should be evolved for calculating the component of CGST and IGST, which the state shall collect for and on behalf Union of India and pass on same to the Union of India after the deduction of collection charges.
The opponents to the GST regime maintain that extending the new tax regime will take away the tax levying autonomy of the state, which in turn will erode its special status within the union of India.
Meanwhile, the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industries President, Rakesh Gupta, who has been camping in Srinagar for the last few days to ensure timely and smooth implementation of GST in the state of Jammu and Kashmir called upon the CM and also the Finance minister and apprised them of the fall out if GST is not implemented and also conveyed that “no goods can be imported from outside the state from July 1 till the time GST is implemented which may lead to shortage of essential supplies.’’
KV Correspondent
