Centre still unsure of passing GST
NEW DELHI: Dec 1 , 2015, dhns
Final call on bill after Cong chief returns
Continuing with its efforts to get Opposition on board, the government on Monday reached out again to top Congress leaders to apprise them on the GST bill.
Though it had done the groundwork, the final call on contentious issues in the legislation that intends to bring uniform taxes throughout the country would take place in a week’s time after Congress president Sonia Gandhi returns from a medical check-up abroad.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu briefed Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Mallikarjun Kharge and Jyotiraditya Scindia on various aspects of the Bill – a follow-up of the ice-breaker between PM Narendra Modi, former PM Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
The discussions with opposition leaders took place to placate their concerns on the bill indicated during Modi-Sonia meeting. It is learnt that capping the GST rate at 18 per cent is the bone of contention between the government and Congress.
A section of the government, however, is not hopeful of getting the key legislation passed in this winter session owing to reluctance from the Congress top brass, despite the opposition party agreeing for it.
The government will have to first clear the 122nd Constitutional Amendment Bill before the GST bill. The government wants to do all the convincing and consensus exercise before the GST Bill goes to Rajya Sabha where it needs opposition support.
The Rajya Sabha select committee has made some recommendations on the bill and submitted its report to the Upper House after opposition forced the government to move the legislation to the panel.
After Rajya Sabha passes the bill, the amended version will come back to Lok Sabha which had passed it in the last Monsoon session.
Though it had done the groundwork, the final call on contentious issues in the legislation that intends to bring uniform taxes throughout the country would take place in a week’s time after Congress president Sonia Gandhi returns from a medical check-up abroad.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu briefed Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Mallikarjun Kharge and Jyotiraditya Scindia on various aspects of the Bill – a follow-up of the ice-breaker between PM Narendra Modi, former PM Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
The discussions with opposition leaders took place to placate their concerns on the bill indicated during Modi-Sonia meeting. It is learnt that capping the GST rate at 18 per cent is the bone of contention between the government and Congress.
A section of the government, however, is not hopeful of getting the key legislation passed in this winter session owing to reluctance from the Congress top brass, despite the opposition party agreeing for it.
The government will have to first clear the 122nd Constitutional Amendment Bill before the GST bill. The government wants to do all the convincing and consensus exercise before the GST Bill goes to Rajya Sabha where it needs opposition support.
The Rajya Sabha select committee has made some recommendations on the bill and submitted its report to the Upper House after opposition forced the government to move the legislation to the panel.
After Rajya Sabha passes the bill, the amended version will come back to Lok Sabha which had passed it in the last Monsoon session.
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