Almost home! GST Bill to be tabled on Wednesday

With Congress demanding that the GST Bill be brought before Rajya Sabha only after its leaders are back from Varanasi, the crucial legislation will now get tabled on Wednesday. Leaders of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad is away in Varanasi campaigning with party president Sonia Gandhi. 

The Government relented as the absence of the Congress members may technically jeopardize the tabling of the bill. “The GST Bill is listed for consideration and passage on Wednesday in Rajya Sabha and we seek support of all political parties. The mood is in favour of its passage,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said.

According to top government sources, a fresh round of talks was held on Monday with the main opposition Congress and other parties, including the Left and Samajwadi Party, for building a consensus on the key tax reform legislation. Congress, to delay the tabling of the bill till Wednesday, demanded that the government needs to circulate the bill with amendments among all lawmakers to give them time to study it before the discussion. 

The government is likely to accept the demand and circulate the amendments before the matter is taken up for discussion. Meanwhile, the BJP has issued whip to all its members in the Rajya Sabha asking them to be present in the House for the next three days.

Another round of talks to clarify on the language of key parts of the bill is likely to be held with Congress on Tuesday. “There has to be one more round of talks. Party feels the bill should be passed and our best wishes that this bill be passed,” Congress spokesperson PL Punia said on Monday.

The key Congress demand on rephrasing of the language for setting up of dispute resolution mechanism in the GST Council has also been agreed to by the government. The government, sources say, is keen to bring about four key amendments in the Constitution Amendment Bill.