Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 15: National Conference today warned the State Government against any misadventure on the issue of GST implementation in the State and said the party would fight tooth and nail to prevent the dilution of J&K’s fiscal autonomy.
Addressing a meeting of the Party’s Provincial Committee for Kashmir, Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani said the Government’s state of confusion on GST was a deliberate ploy to distort the reality and implement the regime in a covert, clandestine manner.
Wani cautioned the PDP-BJP Govt for taking any decision that would cause harm to the State’s fiscal and political autonomy. “We met the Governor and also put our stand forward in the All Party meeting. National Conference will not allow the implementation of the GST regime in its present form through the application of Constitutional Amendment 101 to the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Such a step would not only dilute the State’s fiscal autonomy but would also deem irrelevant the State Legislature and State Cabinet as far as the question of taxation is concerned”, the NC Provincial chief said.
Senior NC leader MA Lone said the State Government was dishonest in trying to peddle lies and half-truths on the GST issue in an effort to mislead the people of the State. “The PDP-BJP Government has made up its mind to dilute the State’s fiscal autonomy to please the powers in New Delhi. The pretense of trying to seek feedback and consensus when ads have already been issued in local papers asking businessmen to register under GST exposes the dishonesty and malice of the State Government”, Lone said.
Former minister Sakina Ittoo said the party was united in its resolve to uphold the State’s autonomy and special status would go to any extent to protect the rights of the people. “We will stand by the people and protest against any possible misadventure by the Mehbooba Mufti Government on this crucial issue”, Ittoo said.
Senior NC leader Ali Mohammad Dar, Mir Saifullah, Shamima Firdous, Mohammad Sayed Akhoon, Showkat Ahmed Mir, Altaf Ahmed Kaloo, Abdul Majeed Larmi, Ishfaq Jabbar, Qaiser Jamsheed Lone and Showkat Hussain Ganai also spoke on the occasion.
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