Srinagar
Jammu and Kashmir government has announced a special session of Legislative Assembly to discuss the issue of extending GST bill to the state.
Minister for finance, Dr Haseeb Darbu, while revealing the development in a press conference in Srinagar fallowing a Cabinet meet, said, “Desire was shown in the cabinet that we should hold the special session of the assembly to discuss the specific issue of extension GST to J&K,” Drabu said.
The special session will start from 17 June for four days, he said.
While briefing about the GST, Drabu said, “There are three aspects to it, Constitutional, Legislative and Administrative.” He stated that the special session is meant to extend constitutional amendment.
“Constitutional amendment 101 under which GST was brought into the country as of now does not apply to JK, so we must use the assembly for extending constitutional amendment 101 to J&K,” finance minister said. “J&K is going to have its own GST.”
“We will have our own GST,” he said. “Its draft was discussed in cabinet and it was resolved that this should be taken up in Assembly,” he said.
He said: “The amendment will apply in modified form. There will be very significant difference between JK and other states.”
While all states draw their power from constitution of India we draw our power from section 5 of the J&K constitution, he clarified.
Amid apprehensions over Article 370 he said that no constitutional amendments are required to the constitution of JK. “It envisages nothing on Article 370.”
He stated the need of GST saying that, “If we don’t extent the GST then no business can be done profitably. It is about business and otherwise double tax has to be paid.”
