Cong terms July 5 as ‘Black Day’ GST attack on fiscal autonomy

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, July 6: Congress today described the passing of GST Resolution in Legislative Assembly as ‘Black Day’ in the history of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Party also termed the Assembly Session and the meetings held from time to time in order to evolve a consensus on GST by the Govt as a mere eye wash, while the passing of GST was already decided between PDP and  BJP.
In a Core Group meeting held here today under the chairmanship of GA Mir, the Party Legislators and senior leaders lashed out at the State Govt  for passing the GST Resolution in the House without evolving a consensus and  expressed serious concern over the way GST Resolution was passed in the House while adopting 101 Amendment directly without taking view point of opposition on board, although the Congress party is not against the GST, but the way it was passed is unacceptable to Congress party, the leaders also expressed apprehensions that the passing of GST  in hurry will certainly harm the special status  and fiscal autonomy of the State.
Expressing serious apprehensions over the fate of special status of the State, the Core Group termed the passing of GST Resolution as a deliberate attempt to harm the fiscal autonomy and special status of the State without adopting necessary amendments as suggested. The Core Group also described the passing of GST Resolution as a fixed match between the PDP -BJP.
While it was evident from the day one that PDP -BJP had planned to pass GST Resolution in the House that too, without considering the view point of the opposition, besides not taking care of special status of the State, which was opposed by the Congress party at every forum, besides that the party (Congress) feels duty bound to continue to oppose the mode of implementation of GST in it’s  present form, the leaders said.
The Core Group added that Congress party will reach out to people in the entire State to seek feed -back with regard to fall out of GST in it’s present form in the State and devise a strategy to be adopted by the party in this direction.
Those who were present in the meeting included CLP Leader Nawang Rigzin Jora, former PCC president Peerzada Mohd Syed,  former Minister Taj Mohi- ud-Din,  Dy CLP Leader Aijaz Ahmad Khan, EX- MP Tariq Hamid Karra, MLAs, MLCs and several other senior leaders.