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Government likely to give a final push for GST bill in Parliament today

by IBNS 12 Aug 2015, 01:44 am

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IBNS) With a day to go for end of Parliament's monsoon session, the Narendra Modi government is expected to go all out on Wednesday to push through the Goods and Service Tax (GST) reforms through a bill that has been pending because of continuous opposition ruckus.

However, the Congress, which has been successful in forcing  total disruption in Parliamentary proceedings on each and every day since the Monsoon session began on July 21 is also determined to block the passage of the bill.

The Congress is leading the pack of opposition parties demanding action against three BJP heavyweights on the Lalit Modi and Vyapam scam issues pledging not to allow Parliament to function till the government bows down.

The GST  bill proposes creation of a national sales tax to replace a matrix of levies in the 29 different states into a unified marketplace.

It has  already been cleared by the Lok Sabha, where the government has a huge majority. But in the Rajya Sabha, it is in the minority and relies on the support of the opposition.

 As the bill was introduced there on Tuesday, Congress members stormed into the well shouting "This won't do."

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said: "The Congress is stalling the country's economic progress."

The GST Bill was originally drafted during the Congress-led UPA rule.

The Congress also wants changes to the bill, which it says must be more "simple and comprehensive".