Taking about the current status of the landmark bill, Naidu added that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has held extensive consultations with various states and that the bill has been referred to the select committee and they have made their recommendations.
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That loss, say aides and analysts, means Modi will have to show more willingness to compromise on the GST after Congress – which first proposed the tax when it was in government – set a series of non-negotiable demands. Gandhi and Manmohan left Modi’s official residence by auto without talking to reporters.
“The government is under tremendous pressure to get GST cleared”, said Rakesh Sinha, director of the India Policy Foundation, a think tank with close ties to the government. “He is willing to discuss, debate and negotiate now”. BJP leaders are citing Rahul’s interaction with college girls in Bengaluru as a reflection of the public mood.
In a move meant to break the deadlock over the bill, the Prime Minister had yesterday invited Congress president Sonia Gandhi and his predecessor Manmohan Singh over tea, highlighting the need for consensual approach in the smooth functioning of the Parliament. But we must train our youth, give them opportunities and use their skills for the development of the nation.
The Congress has articulated three amendments to the proposed bill namely mention of capping of 18 percent tax in the text of the bill, removing the one percent tax on manufacturing states and formation of a commission for dispute redressal.
“The (GST) bill will be implemented next year as it will be passed in the ensuing Parliament session”, Mr Naidu said on the sidelines of an event in Visakhapatnam.
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The GST will create a single market in India after doing away with state levies and is expected to boost the economy. The bill is stuck in the Rajya Sabha where the government lacks majority. Still, to be sure of guaranteeing passage the votes of Congress would be needed.
