Govt may accept Congress proposals on GST Bill

NDA relents to get key reform passed

The government is bracing to go all out to accommodate the Congress’ concerns to win its support for the Goods and Services Tax Bill. Not only is it willing to address key Congress concerns on GST, the NDA is also ready to give the Opposition party credit for having first initiated this landmark reform.

“The Congress has broadly flagged three concerns on the GST Bill, which include capping taxation, resolution of disputes, and share and structure. The government is quite open on all these concerns, and will positively respond to most of them. There is also a sense that the Congress be given credit for having initiated the GST Bill on the lines of the India-Bangladesh land boundary accord,” a source said.

The NDA is drawing confidence from the fact that barring the Left and Congress, most other parties are supporting the GST Bill. Though the AIADMK has reservations on loss of revenue for the state government, the NDA is assured of its support. Trinamul Congress, JD(U), Biju Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party, BSP, NCP and TRS have all expressed support for the GST Bill.

The Congress, a senior party leader said, has strategically admitted the continued disruption of parliamentary proceedings will tarnish its image. “We cannot repeat the Monsoon Session... The Rajya Sabha will be back to legislative business in this session,” a senior Congress leader said.

The Congress is, however, weighing the cost of backing the government on GST given the looming Assembly elections in West Bengal and Kerala. “There is a view within the party, though not that dominating, that we should not be taking a contrasting stand on GST against the Left parties,” a party leader said.

The government is keen to ensure the rollout of GST from April 1, 2016.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hosted his predecessor Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi in this regard last week.