by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
It is now certain that any fruitful outcome will emerge only during the third week of December. Congress president Sonia Gandhi who has gone to the US for check-up, will return on December 8. Even chief economic adviser Arvind Subramaniam has not submitted his final report to the government which will indicate the Revenue Neutral Rate (RNR) for the GST. Once the Subramaniam Committee comes out with the RNR rate, then alone the government-Congress meeting can take the matter further. Subramaniam is returning from the USA on Thursday and take sometime before submitting his report.
Parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu was equally evasive when asked when he would meet the Congress leaders on the GST Bill. Naidu was to follow up the discussion that took place at the Prime Minister's residence last week. He said, " We are working out. But nothing has been decided."
But there are other indications that it won't be a smooth sailing for the Bill. The ruling BJP raked up the Selja issue in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday leaving a bitter taste after three days of fruitful debate on the Constitution and intolerance. The RS was rocked throughout the day. The issue will be over on Thursday when power minister Piyush Goyal may withdraw his remarks made against Selja, a Congress MP.
Rahul Gandhi also told his party leaders that there are divergent views on the Bill and fresh efforts would be made only after the return of Sonia Gandhi. The raids on close associates of P Chidambaram's son by the ED and Income Tax have also signalled the toughening of stance by the government. Since Chidambaram is putting spokes on the passage of the GST Bill, raids are being interpreted as pressure tactics. But the ruling party strongly denied these charges saying, "No raids have been conducted on either Chidambaram or his son or his relatives. There is no political link at all." The raids had been conducted on some of the business associates of Chidambaram's son in a case relating to three-year-old scam in Rajasthan. But it is clear any fruitful outcome on GST may emerge only after December 13. The session is ending on December 23.•
Sonia returning on December 8￭ Centre's report not ready yet ￭ Rahul Gandhi goes on the offensive
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, Dec 2 :
New Delhi, Dec 2 :
The prospects of early passage of the GST Bill during the Winter Session
have receded if the developments within the government and the Congress
party are any indication.
It is now certain that any fruitful outcome will emerge only during the third week of December. Congress president Sonia Gandhi who has gone to the US for check-up, will return on December 8. Even chief economic adviser Arvind Subramaniam has not submitted his final report to the government which will indicate the Revenue Neutral Rate (RNR) for the GST. Once the Subramaniam Committee comes out with the RNR rate, then alone the government-Congress meeting can take the matter further. Subramaniam is returning from the USA on Thursday and take sometime before submitting his report.
Parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu was equally evasive when asked when he would meet the Congress leaders on the GST Bill. Naidu was to follow up the discussion that took place at the Prime Minister's residence last week. He said, " We are working out. But nothing has been decided."
But there are other indications that it won't be a smooth sailing for the Bill. The ruling BJP raked up the Selja issue in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday leaving a bitter taste after three days of fruitful debate on the Constitution and intolerance. The RS was rocked throughout the day. The issue will be over on Thursday when power minister Piyush Goyal may withdraw his remarks made against Selja, a Congress MP.
The ruling BJP raked up the Selja issue in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday
leaving a bitter taste after three days of fruitful debate on the
Constitution and intolerance.
But the
Congress has gone into a belligerent mood signalling toughening of its
stance. Congress Parliamentary Party leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun
Kharge, who confabulated with Rahul Gandhi in the Central Hall of
Parliament for a long time separately, said that the government was not
showing any seriousness and creating obstacles in the smooth functioning
of the House.
Rahul Gandhi also told his party leaders that there are divergent views on the Bill and fresh efforts would be made only after the return of Sonia Gandhi. The raids on close associates of P Chidambaram's son by the ED and Income Tax have also signalled the toughening of stance by the government. Since Chidambaram is putting spokes on the passage of the GST Bill, raids are being interpreted as pressure tactics. But the ruling party strongly denied these charges saying, "No raids have been conducted on either Chidambaram or his son or his relatives. There is no political link at all." The raids had been conducted on some of the business associates of Chidambaram's son in a case relating to three-year-old scam in Rajasthan. But it is clear any fruitful outcome on GST may emerge only after December 13. The session is ending on December 23.•
