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Sharma, while terming the GST as a "historic change"

The Congress leader said the list of exclusions is "worrisome", referring to petroleum products, diesel, petrol, aviation turbine fuel, real estate and alcohol which have been kept out of the GST.

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which will bring about a paradigm shift, targeted the BJP in a veiled manner, saying its passage was delayed during the last seven years due to "partisan" stand that led to a big loss.

He said the indirect tax reform will help in increasing the GDP in the long run and "surely benefit" the economy.

However, the Congress leader said the list of exclusions is "worrisome", referring to petroleum products, diesel, petrol, aviation turbine fuel, real estate and alcohol which have been kept out of the GST.

He questioned how it was an "ideal GST" when 40 per cent of the revenue base of the GDP was kept out of its ambit.

Derek O'Brien of Trinamool Congress said, the concept of GST was introduced by the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2000 in the Parliament "but people (then) were more familiar with KBC (Kaun Bangega Crorepati)." He said the concept has "evolved over the last 17 years and is something we can be proud of."

About the politics over last two decades on the tax reform, he said, "In GST, 'G' stands for 'Go'. When in the government, go for it and when in opposition go slow over it.

Be it the JDU, SP, BSP, AIADMK or NCP, everybody has done the same thing."

O'Brien quoted the ministers of the BJP-ruled states like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, who had categorically opposed the GST earlier.

Attacking the BJP, he said, "when the party gives lecture on being a responsible opposition, it is not digestible." Citing an instance, he said Parliament was disrupted for 22 days over 2G scam and 423 working hours were lost.

He also talked about various views on whether or not the recommendations made by GST Council should come to Parliament "as some say that in that case you are taking away federal structure because GST Council is a council of states".

He said that "people still talk about KBC but now it stands for 'Kab Banega Consensus".

Naresh Agrawal (SP) asked the government to ensure that the decision on the states' claims or issues are not delayed in the GST Council.

Supporting the GST bills, he said this tax reform should not be passed as money bill and government must give exemption to foodgrains under this law. (MORE)

 

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

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