Kabil Sibal, a senior Congress leader, told reporters that the government was using only “optics” and was not serious in implementing the proposed goods and services tax (GST) bill.
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To rescue a key reform from cold storage, the government today reached out to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and offered to call an early parliament session if her party is willing to support the national Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Chidambaram did say on 1 January that “the government failed to accommodate opposition’s demands and pass the GST bill”.
Janpath residence here, Naidu said: “We discussed about the GST Bill and I reminded Sonia ji to take the stand over the same”.
The second round of meeting between the government and the Congress top leadership appeared to indicate that some middle ground is being worked out for the passage of the crucial GST bill.
The Constitution Amendment bill to roll out GST is stuck in the Rajya Sabha where the ruling NDA does not have a majority of its own. “So I am reasonably optimistic, as far as the next session is concerned, that we may be able to push it through”, Jaitley added.
It wants the government to cap the rate of GST at less than 20 per cent, scrap a proposed state levy and create an independent mechanism to resolve disputes on revenue sharing between states.
Both the monsoon session and winter session of Parliament a year ago saw very little legislative business with the opposition led by the Congress party disrupting the sessions over a series of issues, specially in the Rajya Sabha.
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“Sonia said they (Congress) will discuss among themselves and take a final decision”, Naidu said.
