State Cong keeps tab on pulse of people

Even as Congress is extending support to the GST Bill at the national level, the state unit of Congress continues to explore options to tap public resentment over the new tax system. In its meeting of office bearers of its frontal organisations, held on Friday, the party has asked them to get feedback on GST from people of various sections of the society.

Several functionaries advised the State leaders to oppose GST on farming sector. The trade and industries unit of the Congress has told senior leaders that the small traders are sure to suffer losses as the time given for the implementation of GST is too short. The traders, they said are sure to have problems regarding registration and bookkeeping.

Senior Congressmen have advised the office bearers to associate two members per booth with the party and use this resource to provide feedback on all vital issues including GST. The Congress thus plans to associate around 90,000 persons with the party. They plan to complete this by July 15.

Congress has said that it is supporting GST in principle but has reservations regarding several aspect, especially those related to farmers. There is huge resentment among the cloth and food products traders. National spokesperson of Congress Sandeep Choudhry has opposed the imposition of GST on farmers. He argued that a farmer does not have the time to sow his entire land and thus gives it to others to sow the crop, commonly called the batai system. But now with the government imposing GST on batai is not fair.    

State Congress spokesperson Pratap Singh Khachariyavas termed the GST in its present form an arbitrary decision that is sure to damage the economic fabric of the country that is still reeling from the after effects of demonetisation.