Opposition plans to push for GST amendment in Rajya Sabha
NEW DELHI: The Opposition is learnt to be planning to leverage its numerical advantage in the Rajya Sabha to amend the Central GST legislation, ostensibly to assert the supremacy of Parliament over the GST Council in matters of indirect taxation.
Sources said senior Rajya Sabha members of the Trinamool Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress are in touch to try to force an amendment into the GST legislations when they are taken up for discussion in the Upper House next week.
According to the legislations approved by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, indirect taxation powers of the Parliament will be usurped by the GST Council as the Central government will notify indirect tax rates suggested by the GST Council.
"How can GST Council be superior to Parliament?" said a senior Opposition leader favouring an amendment into the phrasing of relevant segments to suggest that the government shall notify indirect taxation rates "as passed by the Parliament on recommendations of GST Council".
The change of the phrase, the Opposition leader suggested, would assert the supremacy of Parliament while retaining the GST Council's role as envisaged for the new tax regime.
However, this appears to be a token attempt by the Opposition to register its numerical heft in the Upper House on the grounds of securing the supremacy of Parliament in taxation matters. With all GST legislations notified as 'money bill', the Upper House has limited power since the Lower House, where the government enjoys a majority, has the power to reject them altogether. But this may add another layer of legislative process as any amendment by the Rajya Sabha will have to be brought before the Lok Sabha for its consideration whereupon it can reject the suggestions of the Upper House.
Sources said senior Rajya Sabha members of the Trinamool Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress are in touch to try to force an amendment into the GST legislations when they are taken up for discussion in the Upper House next week.
According to the legislations approved by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, indirect taxation powers of the Parliament will be usurped by the GST Council as the Central government will notify indirect tax rates suggested by the GST Council.
"How can GST Council be superior to Parliament?" said a senior Opposition leader favouring an amendment into the phrasing of relevant segments to suggest that the government shall notify indirect taxation rates "as passed by the Parliament on recommendations of GST Council".
The change of the phrase, the Opposition leader suggested, would assert the supremacy of Parliament while retaining the GST Council's role as envisaged for the new tax regime.
However, this appears to be a token attempt by the Opposition to register its numerical heft in the Upper House on the grounds of securing the supremacy of Parliament in taxation matters. With all GST legislations notified as 'money bill', the Upper House has limited power since the Lower House, where the government enjoys a majority, has the power to reject them altogether. But this may add another layer of legislative process as any amendment by the Rajya Sabha will have to be brought before the Lok Sabha for its consideration whereupon it can reject the suggestions of the Upper House.
