Jammu and Kashmir, the only State to miss the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout bus on July 1, will join the new tax regime from tonight as the State Assembly passed a Bill in this regard on Friday amid Opposition boycott.
The Assembly passed the Bill to adopt the presidential order that “offers safeguards to its special status”. CM Mehbooba Mufti said “J&K cannot get bigger azadi [freedom] than this order, restoring the lost sanctity of our Assembly.”
Responding to J&K’s demands to safeguard its taxing rights under Article 370, the presidential order reads: “…the powers of the State of J&K as per Section 5 of the Constitution of J&K, shall remain intact.”
The order called for incorporation of fresh clauses under Article 246 of the Constitution. “Under 246A (1), the Legislature of the State of Jammu and Kashmir shall have powers to make laws with respect to goods and services tax levied by the State.” However, the order said, Parliament shall have power to make laws with respect to goods and services tax levied by the Union.
Opposition walks out
Thanking President Pranab Mukherjee, PM Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Ms. Mufti said, “This act of the Centre will be written in golden words in Kashmir’s history.” The National Conference boycotted the Assembly proceedings describing it as “sham.” The Congress also staged a walkout in protest when the Bill was tabled. Both the parties were demanding a separate legislation on GST in J&K.
Meanwhile, internet services were stopped in the Valley as part of unprecedented security measures to foil any attempt by supporters of the slain Hizb commander, Burhan Wani, to pose a law and order problem.
