Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir will miss the tax bus starting from July 1 across the country as the special session of Legislative Assembly, called to discuss and pass Goods and Services Tax (GST), was adjourned on the first day after obituary reference.
Speaker Kavinder Gupta adjourned the House since-die immediately after members participated in the obituary reference.
The session of the Legislature was summoned by Governor N N Vohra on the advice of state cabinet from Saturday to discuss implementation of GST.
However, the entire opposition, including National Conference (NC) and Congress, besides Communist Party of India (M) were against the implementation of GST in its present form, expressing apprehension that it will erode financial and political autonomy of the state.
The Governor has to summon fresh session when any agreement is arrived between the ruling coalition and opposition on the issue.
Since the Assembly has been adjourned sine-die without any discussion on GST, J&K will miss the deadline of July 1 when the new tax regime will be implemented in the country.
Earlier, an All Party Meeting (APM) was held before the start of the session this morning.
Parliamentary Affairs minister Abdul Rehman Veeri during the meeting assured the members that GST will not be implemented in the state without the approval of Assembly.
The lone CPM (M) member Mohammad Yousuf Targami, who was present at the meeting, said that members from the opposition expressed their reservation over the implementation of GST in its present form in the state.
He said Mr Veeri later agreed that GST will not be taken up during this session and Assembly will be adjourned since-die after obituary reference to allow more discussion with the opposition members and other stakeholders.
“However, I assure the members that no decision on the GST will be taken without taking the House into confidence, Mr Veeri has promised in the APM,” said Mr Targami.
He said as agreed at the meeting, speaker adjourned the House sine-die after obituary reference.
Immediately after the Governor issued notification for session from Saturday, APM was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti which concluded without yielding any result as opposition alleged it was to erode the financial and special position of the state.
However, Government rejected the allegation and said if GST is not implemented consumers will have to suffer due to double taxes.
The Kashmir traders had called for a general strike Saturday against the government move to implement GST without addressing their concerns, particularly financial and political autonomy of the state.
Later, it was agreed at the meeting that further discussion between the government and opposition members will be held to find a way out how to implement the GST. Mr Veeri said that All Party Committee (APC) will be constituted to take the discussion further on the GST.
