The mishandling of the GST implementation by Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu has led to the present chaos gripping the trading community in Jammu and Kashmir state. Unfortunate to say that despite knowing all about the constitutional compulsions in the extension of central laws to Jammu and Kashmir State, Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu started the ground work the time when all other states had completed all the necessary formalities for the implementation of GST. Interestingly Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu hosted GST council meeting under the chairmanship of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at SKICC Srinagar a month the time when he should have kick started the process of consultations with the opposition mainstream parties, trading bodies and civil society groups in the state. Unfortunately Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu not familiar with the sensitivities of the political aspirations of the people of Jammu & Kashmir is talking more about the business transactions in the import and export of goods in the state and attaches trivial importance to the constitutional safeguards required for the protection of articled 370 already eroded by the extension of several central laws to the state by successive popular governments from time to time. Since the constitutional safeguards required for protection of article 370 are dearer to the people of the state than the economic compulsions coming in the way of government for implementation of GST in the state, the Finance Minister has not jump to conclusions on the passing of GST bill by the state assembly.
Application of GST regime in the present form in Jammu & Kashmir state would be handle in the hands of those alleging brute surrender of the political agenda of her party by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Mainstream politicians both from the opposition and the ruling PDP-BJP combine are glad to see the issue of GST reaching assembly but not the Governor’s house for final call. Interestingly not the Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu’s proper handling of the GST issue but the timely emphasis of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on consensus over GST issue has brought the matter to the state assembly the highest law making body in the state. Finally the composition of the parties in the assembly is such that GST in the form implemented in other states of the country is likely to be amended by the majority in the Jammu & Kashmir assembly to satisfy the concerns of the people on safeguarding special status enjoyed by the state under article 370. Not the repeated assurances of Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu but the actions of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti who favoured discussions over the issue by an all party consultative committee and the state assembly for generating a consensus on proposed GST legislation can be satisfying for those raising concerns on the constitutional safeguards required for the protection of article 370 guaranteeing special status to the state. Keeping in view the special status enjoyed by the state under article 370 the Jammu & Kashmir reserves the rights to be the solitary state in the country to have its own tax regime matching the standards of GST regime implemented in rest of India by the central government. Application of GST regime in the present form in Jammu & Kashmir state would be handle in the hands of those alleging brute surrender of the political agenda of her party by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
