GST bill to be taken up in monsoon session: Nirmala Sitharaman

 The long-pending GST bill will be taken up in the coming Monsoon session of Parliament, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, expressing confidence that it will be passed.

"Finance Minister (Arun Jaitley) has said that in coming Mooson session we will bring the bill (in the Parliament) and we have full expectation that we will pass it," the Commerce and Industry Minister told reporters here.
She said Jaitley is very focussed on GST issue and is talking to every political party for support. "He (Jaitley) has talked to all the Finance Ministers of the states at GST council meeting in Kolkata a week before," Sitharaman said.

Asked whether the PDP-BJP government in J&K has succumbed to the pressure of separatists and changed the industrial policy to drop non-State subjects from setting up industrial units in the state, she said "I have not seen policy as yet. I will look into it once I go through it." Asked about the government's stand on the issue of outsiders not given permission to set up a unit here, she said "let me study".

When referred to price rise and inflation during BJP government, the minister said "it is not truth. We are working to being prices further down." Replying to another question on reopening of new LoC points for trade in J&K, she said "the border trading points are being decided by countries concerned and also the MEA, Home and Commerce Ministries. If there is any proposal coming will be definitely look into it". On the issue of drop in exports, she said "we launch interest subsidisation programme to deal with it.