Industries Associations meet Rana

Rana slams PDP-BJP Govt for no roadmap on GST

25/06/2017

JAMMU, Jun 24: Slamming PDP-BJP dispensation for failing in rolling out a viable blue-print with regard to safeguarding constitutional, economic and administrative interests of Jammu and Kashmir before implementing proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) National Conference Provincial President Mr Devender Singh Rana on Saturdayregretted that a chaotic like situation is being created by the ruling dispensation by misleading public opinion through canards sans logic and public interest.
"The present dispensation is aware that no such safeguards have been incorporated in the new tax regime but due to political expediency it is shying away from admitting it in the public domain and wants to create a crisis like situation by delaying the process of rolling out the GST in the state without any safeguards which is a commitment made by the government in a bid to save their own chair by sacrificing the interests of trade and industry ", Mr Rana said while interacting with delegations of various Industries Associations from Bari Brahmna, Kathua, Birpur, Samba and Gangyal here this evening.
Prominent among those present in the meeting included Mr Lalit Mahajan, President Bari Brahmana Industrial Association, Mr. Suresh Mahajan, Sr. Vice President Bari Brahmana Industrial Association, Mr. Vivek Singla, Secretary Bari Brahmana Industrial Association, Mr. Sandeep Mittal, General Secretary Kathua Industrial Association, Mr. Romesh Badyal, President Birpur Industrial Association, Mr. Seerat Gupta Executive committee member Bari Brahmana Industrial Association, Mr. CL Raina, Executive Committee Member Bari Brahmana Industrial Association, Mr. Vijay Sharma, Secretary Gangyal Industrial Association, Mr. Ritesh Mahajan, General Secretary Samba Industrial Association and Treasurer Gangyal Industrial Association.
State Vice President Mr Rattan Lal Gupta, District President Jammu Urban Mr Dharmveer Singh Jamwal and Spokesperson Mr Madan Mantoo were also present in the meeting.
"The state government is making promises to the various trade and industry bodies but does not divulge the road-map to safeguard their interests because the intent of the present dispensation is not clear and sincere", he said adding that an attempt is being made to hoodwink stakeholders. He lamented over the covert and overt attempts of the government to generate passions by bringing the three regions eyeball to eyeball situation, without realising the ramifications. He said whatever be the emotional content, economics sees no geographical or social barriers and the PDP-BJP duo will soon get exposed before the people. He cautioned that those getting carried away by malicious propaganda of the insensitive government will soon realise the fallout of not putting the required safeguards in place to protect the economic interests of the stakeholders.
Mr Rana made a passionate appeal to all the stakeholders to rise above own interests and work together to roll out the GST in Jammu and Kashmir without compromising the state's constitutional, economic and administrative interests. He said there are many models worldwide known to the present government wherein the GST can be introduced with adequate safeguards to protect the interests of the people.
Apprizing the delegation about discussions held in the All Party meet convened by the government in Srinagar on 13 June 2017, Mr Rana said that despite assurance in presence of the Chief Minister, the political parties are yet to get any proposal or supporting documents on the implementation of GST keeping in view the fiscal autonomy of the state so that some decision could be arrived at. He said the government is ignoring the three pivotal components of constitutional, administrative and economic significance while rushing to implement the GST that can have serious ramifications in days to come. He added that the coalition government was itself clueless how to proceed ahead with the new tax regime but political expediencies are over-riding the overall interests of the state. He asked as to how the government will protect the state's own right of legislating taxes, saying the move exposes the claims of the PDP-BJP duo to protect and safeguard the constitutional and economic status of the state. "We wonder how this insensitive government will guard against impinging upon the residuary powers vested with the state", he observed.
He said the PDP-BJP government had not done any home-work during the past ten months or given a thought how to roll out this regime.
The Provincial President said the GST in its present form was not in consonance with the state's special status and the government is lacking on administrative front to give it a go, as no serious effort has been made to prepare trade and industry by generating awareness. He said the new tax regime will be cumbersome for majority of business establishments and marginal traders, who lack necessary wherewithal and lack technological backup, especially in semi urban and rural areas due to absence of viable internet connectivity and expertise in accountancy.
He cautioned the coalition against going ahead with the implementation of GST by ignoring the sensitivities involved in the backdrop of the special status of the state and without doing any homework, generating awareness and, above all, taking all segments of society including the marginal traders into confidence. He said that taxes on goods and services are a serious matter and suitable checks and balances were needed to be taken before switching over to new regime.
"Jammu and Kashmir has a robust tax imposition and collection mechanism of its own and the new tax regime will not only erode its fiscal autonomy but shall also prove detrimental to the interests of medium and marginal traders besides the consumers", the Provincial President said.
Mr Devender Singh Rana hoped that the state government will come with a clear policy on the implementation of GST regime keeping in view the interests of traders, industrialists and consumers, apart from the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Photo Gallery

BSE Sensex

NSE Nifty