Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 15:59:33
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.90 2.00%
  1. ICICI Bank share price
  2. 1,095.75 1.08%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,448.20 0.52%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 428.55 0.13%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.05 2.21%
Business News/ Politics / Policy/  NDA reaches out to parties before tabling GST bill
BackBack

NDA reaches out to parties before tabling GST bill

There is no certainty that the goods and services tax (GST) bill will be presented this week even as the government takes steps to get all parties on board

The Congress is the single largest party in the Rajya Sabha with 60 members of Parliament out of a total of 245. Photo: Priyanka Parashar/MintPremium
The Congress is the single largest party in the Rajya Sabha with 60 members of Parliament out of a total of 245. Photo: Priyanka Parashar/Mint

New Delhi: With the monsoon session of the Parliament entering its second week, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leadership is reaching out to political parties for their support on a constitutional amendment bill needed to roll out the goods and services tax (GST).

The government is reaching out to political parties before tabling the GST Bill in the Rajya Sabha, but there is no certainty that the bill will be presented in the second week of the monsoon session.

Meanwhile, the government is also trying to get important bills, including The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2015, The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2016, The Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2016, and The National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2016 presented in Rajya Sabha.

“We have reached out to all political parties in the first week of this session. The talks are going on. We have appealed to all political parties to support the bill and let it get passed in this session itself," said a senior minister on condition of anonymity. “Almost all political parties want early passage of GST."

The government is upbeat after the first week of the monsoon session, which was productive in spite of a range of controversial matters coming up for debate, including recent clashes between police and civilians in Kashmir and atrocities against Dalits in Gujarat.

In the first week, Lok Sabha cleared four bills including The Indian Medical Council Bill, 2016, The Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2016, and National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research Bill (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

The Rajya Sabha, which witnessed protests by the opposition against the government, passed two bills: The Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016, and Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2012.

“The message from the prime minister is very clear that Parliament is a forum to debate, discuss and legislate. We’ll discuss all the issues which the opposition raises. We want Parliament to function," the minister quoted above added.

The fate of the GST Bill will depend on whether a middle ground is reached on some of the contentious issues, said a senior Congress leader, requesting anonymity.

“They (the government) have held consultations not only with the Congress but also with other opposition parties, and we are aware of that. What eventually happens to the bill will depend on which of our demands are accepted. There is a feeling that the government will also agree on some points and we may soften our stand,’’ the leader said.

According to the senior Congress leader, the GST Bill is likely to be presented “towards the end" of the monsoon session.

The Congress is the single largest party in the Rajya Sabha with 60 members of Parliament out of a total of 245.

Barring a Congress party walkout led by vice-president Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha over the recent political crises in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, there has been no major disruption in either House of Parliament.

According to data by the PRS Legislative Research, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed productivity of 80% and 81%, respectively, in the first week of the monsoon session.

“This week in Parliament was unusual because the Congress hardly disrupted either house. The government has tweaked its parliamentary strategy, has allowed the opposition, especially the regional parties, a lot of space, which I feel is a signal that the GST Bill may be passed soon,’’ said Manisha Priyam, a Delhi-based political analyst.

“I think the government is using a very smart strategy to allow the Congress also to show that it was the architect of the bill and hence it cannot be very opposed to the bill. It is conceding some audio-visual space to opposition parties, both inside and outside Parliament, and that could help it in more cooperation in the monsoon session in which the most crucial is the GST Bill,’’ Priyam added.

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Politics News and Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
More Less
Published: 24 Jul 2016, 11:28 PM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App