New Delhi: The government seemed to achieved a breakthrough in the Goods and Service Tax Bill on Thursday with most opposition parties barring the Congress satisfied with two key changes made by the government.
Sources said the Bill will be brought in the Rajya Sabha early next week with the leaders of Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Left parties meeting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and expressing their approval.
This comes a day after the Union Cabinet approved two key changes to the GST Bill that addressed the concerns of state governments and the opposition parties.
The Cabinet removed from the Bill the contentious provision for a 1% additional tax levy by manufacturing states and also introduced a guarantee of 100% to states for five years to compensate for any revenue loss incurred by them due to the introduction of GST.
As the GST is a Constitution Amendment Bill, it requires a 2/3rd of the House - which is 162 members- present and voting.
The business advisory committee of the House is set to meet later in the day to decide when the Bill should be taken up.
Here is the present break-up in the Upper House where the government is not in a majority.
House strength Rajya Sabha : 245
Net House strength : 243
Parties in support of GST:
NDA: 69
Independents - 4
Nominated - 4
Total : 77
Other parties supporting GST is 68
NCP - 5
SP -19
JDU - 10
RJD - 3
TMC - 12
BJD - 8
TRS - 3
PDP - 2
Independents- 1
IUML - 1
JMM-1
Kerala Congress - 1
JDS - 1
YSRCP - 1
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