Srinagar
An all-party meeting to evolve a consensus for bringing the “special state”, shielded from central laws, under the Goods and Service Tax regime has started at SKICC in Srinagar.
GST issue has sparked a controversy in the state with the National Conference, the principle Opposition party, terming it as infringement on Article 370 of the Constitution which grants ‘special status’ to the state.
Leaders from the ruling PDP, its coalition partner BJP, opposition parties NC and Congress and other regional parties have converged into SKICC.
Pertinently, a delegation of National Conference led by its working president, Omar Abdullah, last week, met Governor NN Vohra about the “imminent extension of Constitutional Amendment 101 to Jammu and Kashmir” by virtue of which the new law has come into effect.
The amendment will require a Presidential order to be issued before the law can be extended to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Mehbooba Mufti-led government has called special assembly session from June 17 to discuss the amendment.
Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu has said that Article 370 is safe and modalities are safe. “You should recognise that we are setting a precedent. If anything it is my understanding that the union is sharing sovereignty with the states, in the taxation space.”
Those who are participating in the meet include Nawang Rigzin Jora, Aijaz Khan, Usman Majid and GN Monga of congress; AR Rather, Muhammad Shafi Uri and Nasir Aslam Wani on National Conference; Sat Sharma, Dr Nirmal Singh, Bali Bagat from BJP besides Hakim Muhammad Yasin, MY Trigami, GH Mir, Harsh Dev Singh.
The PDP is represented by CM Mehbooba Mufti, AR Veeri, A Haq Khan, Nizamuddin Bhat and Muzaffar Baig.
