Jammu Tawi, June 30: Despite assurances given by the Finance Minister, Haseeb Drabu, that the state's autonomy won't be diluted by extension of the GST regime which may prove beneficial for the stage which is purely an importing state neither the civil society nor the
members of the All Party committee feel satisfied and want some via media to be ntroduced.
The civil society members, traders and opposition parties have threatened to launch civil disobedience movement if the government implements Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Jammu and Kashmir.
Terming the tax bill a “big assault” on the fiscal autonomy of the state, Chairperson of Kashmir Centre for Social and Development Studies (KCSDS), Prof. Hameeda Nayeem said, “The political collaborators take people for granted for keeping themselves in the seat of power.”
“It will have bad impact on the traders. It is a big assault on the fiscal autonomy. We need to take it seriously and it is important to save the fiscal autonomy of the state,” she said in a round table conference organised by KCSDS.
The participants said there should be no compromise on Article 370 and other constitutional provisions. “Disobedience movement will be launched and the responsibility for the consequences would squarely fall on the government,” they warned.
The All Party Consultative Group (APCG) meeting on the implementation of the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime in the State remained inconclusive here Thursday with the opposition parties seeking safeguards on the financial autonomy of the State and the government demanding suggestions from them in the form of resolutions.
Chairing the second meeting of the APCG constituted by the government, Member of Parliament and former deputy chief minister, Muzaffar Husain Baig tried to explain to the members of the different parties how it would be almost impossible for the State to bring a separate GST.
“If we talk of bringing a separate law, then Government of India has to amend two chapters in the constitution to delegate powers of taxation to Jammu Kashmir, which would become a huge political issue across India,” Baig said. “This will also entail amending Section 5 of the Jammu Kashmir constitution which can't be done and any attempt on fiddling with Section 5 will open a Pandora's Box, which will have huge political ramifications for Jammu Kashmir's future.”
Presenting the government's view, Finance Minister HaseebDrabu said the State government would ensure adequate safeguards for protecting the special constitutional position of Jammu Kashmir as enshrined in Article 370 of the Indian constitution.
Drabu also sought options from opposition parties saying that if they had any options other than implementing the new GST regime, the government would explore them.
Since there was no other option for implement ting the GST regime the state is thinking in terms of getting the central law extended to the state through ordinance which is not unprecedented because in the past the NC led regimes have extended scores of central laws to the state through ordinances instead of seeking approval from the state legislature. Yes, certain amendments may be included in the central law which would prove beneficial for the traders in the state.
Traders and civil society members have alleged that by extending the GST regime the state will lose its fiscal autonomy which is a myth. Since the state depends on 80 to 90 per cent financial assistance from the centre where is then the fiscal autonomy?
