J&K minister Rahim Rather new GST panel head

Jammu & Kashmir finance minister Abdul Rahim Rather was today elected chairman of the Empowered Committee of state finance ministers on the Goods and Services Tax (GST). The post fell vacant after former Bihar finance minister Sushil Modi resigned following a break-up with Janata Dal (United)-BJP in Bihar.

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, who also holds finance minister portfolio, proposed Rather's name and no one opposed it.

Rather's appointment came at a time when GST is not expected to see the light of the day till 2014 general elections.

This is for the first time that a state finance minister of a government, aligned to the ruling party at the Centre, has been elected chairman of such a crucial committee which strives to build a consensus on the new indirect tax across party and states.

Earlier, when state-level value added tax was being debated, Asim Dasgupta of the left front ruled West Bengal was appointed chairman of the committee. When the left front lost power to the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal in 2011, finance minister of the opposition-ruled state Bihar was elected as the chairman of the committee, which was to build consensus on GST and not VAT.