Centre urges Congress to 'rethink' its stand on GST

Ahead of the historic rollout of the Goods and Service Tax (GST) that is scheduled to take effect from midnight, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday hoped the Congress Party 'realise and rethink' their stand and join the government for the midnight Parliament session.

"It's really unfortunate because they are distancing themselves from the process of reformation in the country. I hope they (Congress) realise by evening and re-think and join us in the Central Hall," Naidu said.

"I still appeal to the Congress and other parties boycotting GST event to reconsider. It's not a party function," he added.

The Congress Party yesterday said that it would boycott the midnight meeting, convened by the government, on the implementation of the GST.

"We are boycotting this midnight celebration. In UPA government; Right to Information (RTI) Act, Food Security Act, MNREGA, Right to Education laws were passed which were beneficial for people. But, we never made celebration for such things in central hall. The BJP is doing publicity only in which they are master," Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Besides Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have also decided to boycott the event.

The GST, which is slated to roll out on the midnight today, will bring the Indian economy under a single tax bracket.

Six slabs of taxation have been proposed by the council, ranging from zero percent to 43 percent.

Initially, it is being said that essential commodities and luxury goods will be taxed separately.

The GST is said to be extremely beneficial to consumers, as it will bring down the price of goods and curb inflation.

The GST is also said to reduce the delays in tax payments and ensure more stringent checks on the same.

-ANI