Srinagar/June,14: National Conference on Wednesday said the party would not support the extension of the GST regime to the State of Jammu and Kashmir in its present form at any cost and would leave no stone unturned to protect the State’s fiscal and political autonomy.
Addressing a Press Conference on the issue in Srinagar on Wednesday, Senior National Conference Leader and Former Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather said the State Government was confused and completely clueless on this very sensitive issue.
“National Conference Core Group met recently in Srinagar and discussed the issue of GST and reached a conclusion that as far as the GST is concerned and of the amendment through which the GST is being implemented, accepting the GST in its present shape and form – it would cause irreparable damage to the State’s special status, its fiscal as well as political autonomy,” said Rather.
“The State Government has failed to come up with a clear and transparent stand on this issue leading to uncertainty and apprehensions”, he said.
“We sought an All Party Meeting with the expectation that the State Government could clarify its stand on GST. Sadly the State Government is completely confused and clueless. Even in the meeting, the State Government could not clear its stand. The stand of National Conference is unambiguously clear – we will not allow the State Government to take any step that would compromise on the State’s fiscal autonomy and special status”, he said.
