*CM meets Ministers, BJP Core Group meeting today
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 1: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said today that he has spoken to Governor NN Vohra, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference working president Omar Abdullah after delay in implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Jammu and Kashmir even as he directly charged the National Conference with opposing the new tax regime for purely political reasons but hoped that the State Government is making honest efforts and would integrate with the country in the GST regime very soon.
Meanwhile, the BJP has called its Core Group meeting here tomorrow morning, which will be attended by BJP general secretary, Incharge Jammu and Kashmir, Ram Madhav to discuss party’s strategy on the GST bill, which will be introduced by Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu in the Assembly on July 4, the first day of Special Session of the Legislature on GST.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is also reported to have discussed the draft GST legislation with her senior Cabinet colleagues including Dr Drabu, Law Minister Abdul Haq Khan, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri and Works Minister Naeem Akhter among others to give it final touch before sharing it with the Alliance partner, BJP. She met the senior Ministers also.
Addressing a function in New Delhi this evening, Jaitley said he spoke to the Governor, Chief Minister and Omar Abdullah and briefed them that Jammu and Kashmir will be at great disadvantage for not implementing the GST.
“The Jammu and Kashmir Government is now making honest efforts. Hopefully, in the next few days, the State will integrate with the country on GST,’’ he said but admitted that some people will oppose the move (J&K joining the GST regime). However, he added this is a democracy and people would oppose the J&K Government’s move just like some parties had opposed it in New Delhi. He had a word of advice for the State Government that the show must go on and they shouldn’t succumb to pressurizing tactics of some people.
Taking on National Conference leader and former Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather for opposing implementation of GST in Jammu and Kashmir, Jaitley, without naming Rather, said when he took over as the Finance Minister this man (Rather) was Chairman of Empowered Committee of the Finance Ministers on GST Council and countrywide he was campaigning in favour of the GST bill.
He regretted that he heard the voice of opposition to the GST bill from the same person.
Lamenting the lame excuse of GST opposition in Jammu and Kashmir that it would integrate the State with the country financially, the Union Finance Minister said instead the people of Jammu and Kashmir would suffer as they had to pay double taxes.
“Suppose, a person has to purchase a car in Jammu or Srinagar. He would go to Pathankot and purchase the car on less rates. This way, the business of neighbouring States of Jammu and Kashmir will flourish while the State would suffer,’’ Jaitley pointed out.
Jaitley said he has well explained to Jammu and Kashmir Government representatives that the State was going to suffer badly if it delayed implementation of ‘One Nation, One Tax’ regime and that it was in the interest of Jammu and Kashmir to immediately join the new tax structure.
Jaitley, it may be mentioned, had written an official letter to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and called for implementation of the GST within the deadline of July 1. He had listed the disadvantages Jammu and Kashmir will face for delaying implementation of the tax including double taxation, halting of the inter-State trade etc.
Meanwhile, the BJP has called its Core Group meeting at the State Guest House at 10 am tomorrow for which party general secretary, Incharge Jammu and Kashmir, Ram Madhav, the party’s pointman on the State Government, is reaching Jammu.
The Core Group meeting will be attended among others by Union Minister of State in PMO Dr Jitendra Singh, Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, State president Sat Sharma ‘CA’, Ashok Koul, Shamsher Singh Manhas, Jugal Kishore Sharma and Ashok Khajuria among others.
The Core Group will devise party’s strategy for Special Session of Legislature from July 4. The BJP wants GST legislation to be passed by the Legislature at any cost now, unlike the previous session on June 17, which had to be adjourned sine die even without introduction of the bill.
At the same time, sources said, the Central Government representatives have also conveyed to the BJP Ministers that carefully study the GST legislation that it shouldn’t be much different from the Central legislation though J&K has powers to draft its own bill. The Centre and the BJP leadership want that a message shouldn’t go that J&K has its own legislation though the PDP can make minor changes to address its constituency.
After missing the GST deadline of July 1, the Government has revived Special Session of the Legislature from July 4 to 8 to debate the GST bill and pass it as trade has come to a standstill in Jammu and Kashmir after countrywide implementation of the Act this morning.
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