The government wants to implement GST by April 2016, but the deadline may be missed if Parliament does not pass the bill in the winter session. “The government seeks cooperation for the smooth and efficient functioning of the parliament”, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu told reporters, quoting Modi’s remarks to the meeting.
Advertisement
The government is dong everything possible to bring the opposition on a common platform in order to see the passage of crucial Goods & Service Tax bill (GST).
CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury, however, said that the Centre should hold talks with states on the issue of GST in view of the fact that they will lose all legislative power on tax matters once GST comes into force.
Noting that the party would also reach out to other Opposition parties for greater floor coordination, he recalled that the Opposition unity in the last session had resulted in the government not proceeding ahead with the controversial land acquisition bill.
Yadav said on Twitter, We will raise issues of love jihad to “ghar vapsi” and increasing intolerance during course of discussion on commitment towards Constitution. “They should do the same”.
The Congress and other Opposition parties, including the Left and JD (U), are gearing to corner the government on several issues including the discussion on secularism.
Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said in a television interview on Wednesday that these three Congress demands had not been included in its original GST bill.
The Mayawati-led BSP and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP have already extended their support to the bill and want it to be passed in the current session.
“GST was not our idea – it was a Congress idea but it’s a good idea”, Jaitley said. “What is happening in the country is distrubing and the Prime Minister is silent”.
The Bill had been passed in the Lok Sabha during the monsoon session as the government has a majority in the Lower House, but got stuck in the Rajya Sabha where the NDA lacks numerical strength.
The winter session is important because as many as 19 pending bills are going to be presented for consideration, and 14 new bills will be proposed.
Advertisement
Though the government plans to pursue 20 bills for passage, top on the agenda are the GST, Negotiable Instruments, Payment of Bonus Amendment, Anti-Hijacking and the Carriage by Air, and Real Estate Bills.
