GST rolled out without opposition

New Delhi: The Goods and Services Tax which will be rolled out at the stroke of midnight hour has had an arduous journey. Besides ups and downs, it has seen friends turn foes and vice- a-versa. The Bharatiya Janata Party led National Democratic Alliance government which had initiated the proposal opposed it later . The Congress which tried to push it during the previous rule created one hurdle after the other during its long journey.

It moved on removing one road block after another. It will still move, ignoring the boycott of the function organised for its launch by the Congress and some other opposition parties and agitation threat by traders.

For the BJP, particularly its ailing leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee it is a dream fulfillment. For. it was this party led Vajpayee government in the year 2000 which had conceived the idea and set up an empowered committee which was headed by West Bengal finance minister Ashim Das Gupta to study the proposal.

But, before it could take a shape and a road-map could be prepared ,the BJP-led government was moved out of power. Initially, the next government ( Congress) took keen interest. It is evident from the speech made in the Lok Sabha by then finance minister P Chidambaram in February 2006.

"The world over goods and services attract the same rate of tax", he told the House in his budget speech and promised to move in that direction. The next finance minister of the same party government Pranab Mukherjee who later became the President repeated the commitment.

Even a roll out time was announced-- April, 2011. An amendment in the constitution was required for the purpose which was sought in the same year. A bill was introduced. The BJP which was in the opposition then went against its own proposal mooted ten years ago.

One way to delay a proposal is to refer it some committee or the other. The other is to a create ruckus time and again and to not allow the House to function. The party did both and adopted some means to scuttle the move. The result was that in May 2014 the constitution amendment bill which was introduced to facilitate introduction of one tax regime during the Congress regime lapsed.

Ironically, the BJP which had created the hurdles , came out in its favour seven months down the line, after it assumed power.

Unfortunately for the nation, it was the Congress turn now to oppose for the sake of opposition. The BJP proposal to introduce one indirect tax regime was not allowed to be approved in the Rajya Sabha where the Congress has a majority.

After the government conceded some of the party demands, it insisted on acceptance of two more--- fix the tax ceiling at 18 per cent and remove one per cent inter-state trade tax. After dilly-dallying the government agreed not to charge this tax.

A number of parleys were held on the slab issue with the Congress leaders.Never say die finance minister Arun Jaitley and Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally succeeded in their efforts and they came on board.Growing popularity of Modi and fear of facing the people's antagonism might have also made them change.

There was a change of mind but not of heart. Therefore, after the GST bill was passed by two houses, ratified by more than fifty per cent states and a date was announced for the introduction, the Congress took a launch function boycott decision.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar who had sided with the ruling coalition and backed its presidential nominee too has decided to boycott the " tryst with history" event.Other opposition parties which had voted in favour too have decided to give it a miss. Nothing seems to be unfair in love and politics.