GST Bill impasse may continue as Congress adamant on ‘non-negotiable’ amendments

New Delhi: Amid reports of a thaw between Congress and the BJP on GST Bill passage, the grand old party on Tuesday said that ‘there is no change in its stand on the three principal demands on the legislation and it is still awaiting the government's offer on the issue’.

"Till the time the government doesn't share with us its offer on the issue, we will not comment. There is status quo on GST bill. There is no change in our stand," party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha where the Constitution Amendment Bill is pending, said though a proposal from the government has come to resolve the pending issues, Congress is yet to decide on it.

"Government has given a proposal for resolving pending issues. We will decide. There is still time for the Parliament session. We will put forth our views and hold discussions with government sitting across the table," he said.

Singhvi was more categorical in stating that Congress is firm on its three non-negotiable demands, two of which had been backed by the government-appointed panel.

"Congress is never dogmatic or unreasonable. It has never practised rigidity on this issue. The government hasn't proposed anything. Till the government spells out its proposal our stand is as it is," he said.

Azad and Anand Sharma, the Deputy Leader of Congress in the Rajya Sabha, on Tuesday met party president Sonia Gandhi to discuss the issue. However, Singhvi said the meeting was not limited to a particular issue.

Congress has been demanding a cap of 18 per cent as part of the Constitutional Amendment Bill to which the government is not agreeing. Insiders say that this very demand has become a sticking point between Congress and the government. There is a section in the Congress which believes the party has overplayed its resistance to GST, especially with its demand to cap the rate.

The Congress also wants the government to scrap a proposed 1 per cent additional levy on the cross-border transport of goods. The third big demand of the Congress party is that the Finance Minister should enlarge the powers of a council to resolve disputes on revenue-sharing between states.

The political impasse over the draft law has already delayed the rollout of the GST, originally scheduled for 1 April this year. The government plans to push the Constitution Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha, where it is in a minority despite recent victories in some state elections, for roll-out of GST in the Monsoon Session beginning July 18. The bill Lok Sabha had earlier approved the Bill.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is likely to meet with Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma to reach a compromise. That appointment comes after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar reached out to Azad and Sharma last week.

With PTI Inputs