The Union government will write to various political parties for ascertaining their views on caste-based census, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Saturday.
Emerging from a brief meeting with Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi here, Mr. Mukherjee told reporters that the purpose of his meeting was to apprise the Chief Minister of the decision taken at a meeting of the Group of Ministers of the Union Cabinet a few days ago.
Noting that the Group would meet again, the Finance Minister, who was on his way to Kumbakonam for unveiling a statue of Congress leader G.K. Moopanar , said the views of all parties would be taken into account before arriving at a final solution.
He also briefed Mr. Karunanidhi of the progress of the proposed tax reforms such as the Direct Tax Code and Goods and Services Tax (GST). He said the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on GST was working in “close cooperation” with the Centre.
[A senior government official said that the Empowered Committee was expected to meet in New Delhi on July 21.] When Mr. Mukherjee met Mr. Karunanidhi, Union Ministers M.K. Alagiri and V. Narayanaswamy, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.V. Thangkabalu and Members of Parliament Kanimozhi and T.R. Baalu were present.
