Jammu and Kashmir assembly adopts GST resolution

“There is no devious game plan, we want a sense of the house and communicate it to the government of India for implementing GST while safeguarding the special status of the state,” Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu assured.  (File Photo)

The legislative assembly of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday passed the resolution to adopt the implementation of Goods and Sevices Tax (GST) after turbulent rounds of debates and heated arguments between the lawmakers in the special assembly session that lasted for four days.

The resolution talks about safeguarding the special position of the state, but the Opposition termed it vague. The Opposition urged the government to make its own GST law — like it had done for VAT. BJP members tried to allay fears on GST. “There will not be any effect on Article 370, which is sacrosanct,” BJP legislator R S Pathania assured.

As the special session on GST began, senior National Conference leader Devendar Rana said, “There is an attempt to attack the idea of Jammu and Kashmir as also the idea of India.”

“There is no devious game plan, we want a sense of the house and communicate it to the government of India for implementing GST while safeguarding the special status of the state,” Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu assured.  “As part of these efforts the government has convened all-party meeting and also formed an all-party panel to build consensus on the issue”, Drabu said on Tuesday.