Monsoon session of Parliament emphasis for opposition consensus on GST Bill
New Delhi July 18: The monsoon session of parliament commences today as PM Narendra Modi positively urged to seek the co-operation of the opposition and the other parties to table and pass the GST bill and also have fruitful debates on legislative matters for the better progress of the country.
Taking place amid the 70th Independence day celebrations,the first priority of this 26-day session is to pass the long-pending Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill which stuck in Rajya Sabha pending approval where the BJP does not have a considerable majority.
The opposition will take on the NDA led BJP government on a host of issues including the ongoing Kashmir violence and shutdown,GST Bill along with a dozen other bills ,inflation in economy,and minor rape case in Maharastra, constitutional crisises in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand., India’s failure to enter the NSG group etc
After having welcomed the new ministers to Parliament, PM Modi expressed confidence over the passing of the GST Bill and looked forward to solving a host of legislative issues.
The number of bills pending in the LokSabha is eleven and 45 bills are pending the Rajya Sabha.
Former Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu wanted at least 20-25 bills to be introduced, considered and passed during the monsoon session that will last from July 18 to Aug. 12.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday said that the Congress will not oppose the passing of any bill in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, and will support any legislation in the interest of the nation.
The government is hopeful of a breakthrough on the languishing GST bill, which it wants passed during the session, following meetings between senior ministers and Congress leaders.
In the recent cabinet reshuffle— Ananth Kumar is the new parliamentary affairs minister and S.S. Ahluwalia is minister of state along with Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anand Sharma and Ghulab Nabi Azad of the Congress are scheduled to meet FM Arun Jaitley recommendations from top leaders on both sides to negotiate compromises on the GST.
The Congress demands that the GST tax rate to be limited at 18 percent, it wants the upper limit to be listed in the constitutional amendment that will bring on the reform, it wants the removal of proposed 1% state levy, and it has called for a powerful council to settle disputes on revenue-sharing between states.
In response to the demands,the BJP has agreed to most of the changes other than listing a tax rate in the constitutional amendment ,every time it is revised.
The BJP government has already got assurance for the GST Bill, from the 12 MPs of the Trinamool Congress and eight of the Biju Janata Dal.
The only large political party, which is still opposed to the idea of the GST is AIADMK that rules Tamil Nadu.
