Manmohan Singh steps in, urges Congress to work For GST consensus

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Apr 06, 2017 :  Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh intervened today in the Rajya Sabha, asking his party the Congress not to seek changes in four GST or Goods and Services Tax bills being voted on in the upper house of Parliament to "maintain consensus and federal agreement."

 

The Trinamool Congress has sought an amendment to mandate parliamentary approval of recommendations of the powerful GST council, which is made up of state finance ministers and is headed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Left parties too are expected to move amendments which will be put to vote after the two-day debate on the GST bills in the Rajya Sabha.

Without the support of the Congress, which is the largest party in the Rajya Sabha, the opposition amendments will not be passed. The government is in a minority in the Rajya Sabha.

Because the bills being voted on today are Money Bills, if any changes are approved by the Rajya Sabha they will not be binding on the Lok Sabha or Lower House to which the bills will then return. The Lok Sabha can choose to accept or reject the changes. But the Rajya Sabha approving amendments will be an embarrassment for the government.

The Congress, which stakes claim to the mega tax reform as the party that first initiated it when it was in power at the centre, has said during the discussions in parliament that it does not agree with several provisions that are in the GST bills.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, have accused the government of undermining the Rajya Sabha by moving legislation as Money Bills.