Srinagar: Member of Parliament and senior PDP leader, Muzaffar Hussain Baig Tuesday said that he is not part of any All Party Committee on holding consultations on extending Goods and Services Tax to the state.
Baig said that he has not received any letter from the Government or cabinet that he was the chairman of any committee on GST.
As per reports, the government had said that it will form an All Party Committee to hold consultations on extending GST to the state after the Special Session of Assembly was adjourned sine die without passing the GST bill. Baig was reported to head the committee with legislators and leaders of political parties to be its members.
“I have heard that a committee has been set up and I am its chairman. But I have not received any letter from the government or cabinet about it that I am the chairman of any committee,” Baig was quoted as saying by local news gathering agency KNS.
Baig said the Cabinet has to decide whether GST is extended to the state or not. “I am not part of the cabinet neither am I member of any All Party Committee,” he said.
The senior PDP leader said he does not know what happened to GST after the All Party Meeting.
“The government had called an All Party Meeting for discussing and holding consultation on GST. I too was invited to the meeting as were members and legislators from other parties. What happened after that I do not know anything,” he said.
Over extending GST to the state, Baig said the cabinet is meant to do that and the cabinet had said that it will call as Assembly session. “I am not part of the government or Assembly,” he said.
Asked if GST is not implemented in the state, the former finance minister said that the traders and consumers of the state will get affected.
“The goods and material traded imported or exported into the state will face difficulty. Both the traders and consumers will get affected if GST is not implemented in the state,” he said.
Asked whether the bill can be passed through Ordinance, he said he has no knowledge about it.
“I met the Governor and Chief Minister, but none of them told me about passing the bill through ordinance. I cannot say anything on it unless either the Governor or Chief Minister informs me about it,” he said
