Get it right & don’t delay

When the UPA introduced the GST Bill in 2011, the BJP-ruled states had opposed it. Now the Congress and other opposition parties are making jarring noises. The introduction of the Bill saw unwarranted protests and a walkout. Whatever objections any party or state has should be sorted out in Parliament or outside. Since the GST rollout, to be supervised by the GST Council, requires an amendment to the Constitution, cooperation of at least half the states is vital. The Modi government will have to use all tact and skill at its command to carry opposition parties and states along — by no means an easy task. However, if politics is kept aside, differences may not be irreconcilable. States have some genuine concerns since the GST limits their revenue and power to impose/increase indirect taxes. It gives the Centre an edge. The states, therefore, must be compensated adequately. But this should not be done by making too many exemptions, narrowing the base of the GST and diluting the expected benefits. States want liquor, petrol and diesel to be excluded from the GST ambit.