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GST Bill Passed in Legislature Assembly

  • It is the brainchild of UPA, says Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
  • Centre has agreed to reimburse any shortages in tax revenue.
  • CM calls it the UPA government’s brainchild.
GST Bill Passed in Legislature Assembly

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly unanimously passed the Karnataka Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017. It has to be now passed in the Legislative Council.

Piloting the Bill the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah appealed to all to agree to the bill stating that it was piloted in accordance with the Centre’s GST Act. Any modifications cannot be implemented through a debate in the Assembly. All points of debate would be submitted to the GSt Board at Delhi. Hence, all members should agree to it.

The Chief Minister also claimed that the State was always in the forefront with regard to implementing tax reforms at every phase. The tax collection is increasing by 14 per cent annually and after GST, if there is a slump, the Union Government has agreed to compensate the shortcomings, he said.

The debate over GST started when Chidambaram was the Union Minister for Finance in 2006. Hence it is the brainchild of UPA government. How can we protest against it, he asked.  Congress had never protested GST. It was Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu that protested GST. Now, all three states have made a U Turn. Our stand has always been the same, he said.Karnataka was the first State to implement VAT, he reminded.

BJP’s Visvesvara Kageri said the Karnataka State should have been the first to pass the Bill. The reputation of the State has taken a beating by the delay, he said. MLAs Lakshman Savadi, Krishnappa and Vadnal Rajanna requested that it should be argued in the GST Board to fix zero tax on betel nut, dry copra and raisin.

The Karnataka GST Bill 2017 keeps petroleum products out of its purview. Other goods that are exempted from GST are groceries of daily use and alcohol. It has been decided to implement the tax in four stages like 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent, informed the CM.  

 

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