Presidential order likely on GST extension to J&K

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 24

To save the state from fiscal chaos and constitutional crisis, the PDP-BJP coalition government is likely to ask the Centre to issue a presidential order to extend the GST to J&K. The order is expected to be issued before June 30 so as to get the GST extended to the state on July 1 like other parts of the country.

Highly placed sources said PDP leadership had conveyed to the BJP that it was not against extending the GST to J&K but it was looking for a way out to blunt the Opposition’s malicious campaign. “As the Opposition has not shown any flexibility on the issue, the state government is left with no other option except asking the Centre to issue a presidential order,” the sources said, adding, “after the presidential order, the state Cabinet will give its nod to the GST before June 30.”

The sources said BJP leadership had made it clear to the PDP that the state’s own GST law would create conflict so it was better to adopt the GST which had already been adopted by all other states of the country.

The sources said the BJP had also opposed convening an Assembly session to pass state’s own GST Bill. “The only option before the state government is to give concurrence to the GST Bill passed by Parliament because J&K cannot remain isolated,” a senior BJP leader said, adding that the state government had to extend the GST at any cost before June 30 to save the state from fiscal chaos and constitutional crisis.

BJP’s representative Sunil Sethi, who participated in today consultative group meeting on the GST in Srinagar, said except giving concurrence to the GST Bill passed by Parliament, there was no other option before the state government.