GST without adequate safeguards not acceptable: NC

Srinagar: Reiterating their Party’s stand on extension of Goods and Services Tax (GST) to the state, the Opposition National Conference (NC) Sunday warned of “consequences” if GST is extended to the state without “adequate constitutional safeguards”.
“Our party will not accept the GST till we get the constitutional, administrative and economic safeguards. GST in present form is not acceptable to the state. The government should not extend it to the state without modification,” NC senior leader and former finance minister, Abdul Rahim Rather said here in a press conference, according to KNS correspondent.
Rather censured the present finance minister Haseeb Drabu for stating that the Jammu and Kashmir government is implemented the new tax regime on July 6.
“What is the fun of calling a special session of the Legislature when the government has made up its mind to implement GST,” he said, referring to a media report when Drabu has said that JK will give its nod to extend GST on July 6.
He said if the government applies the GST law to the state in its present form, then the party would decide the next course of action.
The NC leader said that the PDP-BJP government has failed to provide any concrete and alternative proposal for safeguarding the special position of the state in the Constitution of India.
“The government has told the opposition that it will present the proposal to safeguard special status in the Assembly session. But don’t the traders and people have right to know?” he asked.
Asked whether the National Conference would then boycott the assembly session, Rather said the party’s legislature party, which would meet in a day or two, would take a call on that.
Rather said the situation was serious and his party was concerned, but there was no issue which could not be resolved through discussions.
“The Government of India should listen to us, find solution and resolve the issue. We have no issue if the government has any proposal but they should ensure that it does not erode the special position of Jammu and Kashmir,” the NC leader said.
Junaid Mattu, the party’s spokesman, was accompanying Rather in the press conference. (KNS)