Expressing disappointment over the delay in the passing of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill in the Parliament, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said that the Congress’ stance to refer the Bill to the Select Committee was ‘surprising’.
“This is not a law which the Parliament has to prove but also the states. Therefore, the balance between a parliamentary wisdom and a consensus of the states also has to be maintained and we have done that. For some reason the Congress took a view that it needs one more committee. It is surprising because it is their Bill and it’s also been improved upon by the Standing Committee,” said Jaitley.
“The GST law really should have been passed in this session of Parliament, reason bring it has spent almost two and a half years with the Standing Committee earlier and having spent this much time, the principle amendments are those which the Standing Committee has recommended. Over and above the standing committee there was only one recommendation,” he added.
He further said that the Congress’ step to not allow the House to proceed over the Bill was one of its tactics against the Bill as they did not have the sufficient numbers to succeed in a motion to referring it to the Selection Committee.
“We were able to muster large support in the Lok Sabha (on the GST Bill). Even in the Rajya Sabha, I don’t think the Congress had the numbers to succeed in a motion to referring it to the Selection Committee but they started resorting to other tactics like not allowing the House to proceed,” said Jaitley.
The GST Bill has been referred to a Select Committee after the opposition forced the government in the Rajya Sabha for the same.
The 21-member panel will give its report by the last day of the first week of the Monsoon session. (ANI)