TMC stands in favour of GST Bill

 The TMC leader said, “The issue of GST feature in all the manifestos of the Trinamool Congress  since 2009 while the current ruling party and the principal Opposition party have changed their stands based on where they sit.”

On this context the TMC Rajya Sabha leader mentioned GST as “Girgit Samjhauta Tax” Bill as the Bill has been 10 years of ping-pong politics between the ruling party and the principal Opposition party.

“GST has been pending from 2006 to 2016. GST could also be interpreted as Girgit Samjhauta Tax,” he added.

“The government must assure the House they will pass a Bill in November and not let the ping-pong match turn the GST Bill into an April Fools’ joke in 2017,” Derek affirmed.

While debating on the Bill, Derek also said that in Bharatiya Janata Party’s election Manifesto in 2009, the party said GST will be abolished and CST will be rationalised between 12 and 14 percent. “My State is still owed Rs 6500 Cr as CST compensation. Even Odisha is owed Rs 3000 Cr. I want the Finance Minister to clarify on full compensation,” he said.

The TMC leader also claimed that BJP uses the Lok Sabha to bulldoze legislation. “Thanks to Rajya Sabha, many positive changes were made,” Derek mentioned.

“The proceedings of the Select Committee are not televised or else the country would have seen how Congress used ‘Go Slow Tactics’ in the committee,” he added.

The party also urged the center to keep out small business with less than Rs. 1.5 crore turnover of dual control.

Derek also appreciated the government’s effort to reach out to the States and worked with the Finance Ministers. “I want to put on record the great job done by Empowered Committee of Finance Ministers. Dr Amit Mitra, the Finance Minister of Bengal, who headed the Empowered Committee for 150 days also deserves credit,” he added.

However, the regional parties to be consistent and mostly supported the long pending Bill. About 150 countries worldwide have some form of GST or VAT (Value Added Tax), according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.