The Modi government’s efforts at pushing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill received a shot in the arm from the most unexpected quarters — support received from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who said the tax reform was “for the welfare of the States and the country.”
Mr. Kumar was in Delhi and met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at the latter’s office in Parliament. Among the subjects discussed, sources said, was the passage of the GST Bill. While the Janata Dal (United) headed by Mr. Kumar has already pledged its support, sources say the government is heartened by the fact that Mr. Kumar is vehemently opposed to capping of the rate of tax at 18% being mentioned in the Constitutional Amendment Bill itself. This is one of the key demands of the JD(U)’s ally in Bihar, the Congress, and has been the subject of many rounds of talks to break the GST impasse.
“We believe in GST, and have favoured it since the beginning. It is for the welfare of the States and the country,” Mr. Kumar said. “I do not support the capping of the rate of tax,” he added.
To meet KCR, Naidu
Mr. Jaitley, sources say, will be visiting Hyderabad this weekend and is likely to meet TDP leaders and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and TRS supremo K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
