New Delhi, July 13: Minister for Finance, J&K, Abdul Rahim Rather today demanded protection of J&K’s financial and constitutional guarantees in the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime to be implemented in the country.
 Speaking at Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers’ meet at New Delhi today, Rather said the division of powers between the union of India and the state of J&K “is not at the same footing as it is in respect of other states on the matter of taxation.”
 Rather said that J&K enjoys special status under the Constitution of India and its constitutional relationship is governed by Article 370 of Constitution of India.
 He asserted that the stand of J&K has been agitated a number of times in the Empowered Committee meetings and also before the Union Finance Minister and the concerns of J&K State were appreciated by Empowered Committee and Government of India but nothing concrete appears to have been done so far.
 He strongly pleaded that the Standing Parliamentary Committee which is presently examining the 115th Constitutional Amendment Bill should listen to the views of various states before finalizing its recommendations.
 The meeting was presided over by the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, who is also the chairman of the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers.
 The Chairman Empowered Committee assured the Minister that the matter would be taken up with the Standing Parliamentary Committee. He, however, advised that the states should also bring this to the notice of the Committee individually.Rather deliberated on the issue of CST compensation to the states.
 He suggested that the states should very seriously pursue the matter with Government of India and meet Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for resolution of the issue in a time bound manner.
 However, he said, any confrontationist attitude on the part of states with the union should be avoided, at least prior to the meeting with Prime Minister of India.
 The suggestion of Rather was agreed, an official statement said.
 Concluding his speech, Rather while extending his support to the implementation of GST in the country, reiterated the need for special safeguards in respect of J&K in conformity with the legal and constitutional position of the state vis-à-vis Union of India.
 He impressed upon the Empowered Committee to fully support the case of J&K state before the Union Government so that the viewpoint of the State is fully accommodated in the proposed constitutional amendments.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 13 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 13 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 14 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST