Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Monday said that the adoption of GST by former PDP-BJP government “snatched” whatever powers were bestowed upon the state by virtue of special status to tax goods and services.
Addressing a meet of party functionaries and workers at party headquarters Nawa-e-Subah, party’s additional general secretary Sheikh Mustafa Kamal said that NC had raised alarm bells about the implementation of GST in the state. “Our party’s senior leader and former finance minister Abdul Rahim Rathar continuously raised the issue but PDP which was weighed down by its arrogance didn’t take note of our reservations about the implementation of GST law,” a stated issued by the party quoted him saying.
Kamal said NC has been maintaining that GST is a regressive tax, and coupled with other “imprudent steps” like demonetisation put the common people to duress.
Additional general secretary asserted that PDP is answerable to people for destroying the financial autonomy of the state. “Time has proven how the implementation of GST adversely affected our tourism sector. The Parliamentary panel report revealing the adverse affects of GST on the tourism sector of Jammu and Kashmir vindicates our Stand,” he said adding that the parliamentary panel led by Kanwar Deep Singh has revealed how GST has badly affected tourist related activities in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.