BHUBANESWAR: Even though the Congress announced its support for the ratification of the Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014 for GST in the special session of the assembly convened tomorrow, the party will reiterate its demand for a cap on the tax rate.
The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) today met to finalise its strategy for the special session tomorrow. However, raising of the Dana Majhi incident in Kalahandi where he had to carry his dead wife on his shoulders for ten kilometers, death of children at Nagada and the killing of five persons in police firing at Gumudumaha cannot be ruled out.
"We are yet to take a formal decision in this regard. But raising of these issues because of their seriousness cannot be ruled out," leader of the Opposition Narasingh Mishra said after the CLP meeting. The meeting of the BJD legislature party which was scheduled to meet today has been deferred to tomorrow.
The BJPLP will also meet tomorrow.
Congress, however, criticised the state government for not consulting the opposition political parties about the special session. "It is unfortunate that the state government did not discuss anything about the special session with the Opposition," Mishra said.
He, however, said as per the stand taken by the national party, the Congress will support the ratification of the GST Bill in the session.
Stating that the GST Bill was introduced in the Parliament in 2011 during the UPA government when Manmohan Singh was prime minister, Mishra said the BJP and its allies had opposed it tooth and nail and did not allow it to be passed.
After the NDA came to power good sense prevailed and the Centre reintroduced the Bill in Parliament with several modifications. The opposition political parties including the Congress opposed the modifications, he said and added a consensus emerged after prime minister Narendra Modi personally discussed with opposition political parties.
All the amendments brought by Congress except a cap on tax rate was accepted by the Centre. The party will again raise the issue in the assembly tomorrow, he said.
The BJD which has accepted the GST Bill will raise the issue delay in payment of compensation by the Centre to the State.