Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is the party Chief Whip in Lok Sabha, said: “GST issue was not discussed in the all-party meeting”. On 17 July, PM Modi sought cooperation from opposition parties in the passage of GST bill.
Advertisement
“All parties (of NDA) are together on the GST bill”. “Mayawati has made it clear that the party will support the government on GST bill”.
The Congress, however, appeared to be gearing up for a battle in the Rajya Sabha, where it has an advantage over the BJP, though the government managed to whittle down some of the opposition to the goods and services tax (GST) bill in the inter-session period.
The Monsoon Session will have 20 working days and will conclude on August 12.
Among priority issues for the current session he listed inflation and rise in the prices of food items, economic situation, unemployment and retrenchment.
Noting that his party is “constructively engaged” with the government on the pending tax reform legislation, Sharma said, “Discussions with the government on the Bill are ongoing and we are waiting for the next meeting on the issue.
Important bills, including GST, will be taken up in the monsoon session and I hope there will be meaningful discussions and outcomes”, the Prime Minister said in the all-party meet on Sunday.
In Parliament, Modi introduced his new ministers to the lawmakers.
It will raise matters of national interest and concern and hold the Government to account where we feel it is in public interest to do so, he said. “We are the architects of the bill”, Shukla told ANI outside the Parliament here.
The Constitution amendment bill for roll-out of GST is pending in Rajya Sabha for a long time and the government is keen to ensure its passage. “This has sent a right message and I thank all the parties for the same”, Modi said here while addressing an all-party meeting convened by the government ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning on Monday. The idea for the bill, which would impose a nation-wide value-added tax and simplify India’s labyrinthine and fractured taxation system, had started circulating under the previous Indian government, under the Indian National Congress-led United Progressive Alliance. One government source even said thee Congress in the Rajya Sabha was divided into those who were pro-GST and others indifferent to its passage.
“We have also said that unlike the present ruling dispensation-the BJP- which opposed it for partisan politics, the Congress’ opposition is principled and has rich merit on all the issues that we have raised”.
During the meeting between the Finance Minister and the Congress leaders, the broad contours of a possible compromise were worked out.
Advertisement
A number of past parliamentary sessions have also been disrupted by opposition parties.
