With support of opposition, will try to function for India's success: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Union Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Thursday expressed his gratitude to the opposition for supporting the passage of the Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday, adding that efforts would be to try to function for the betterment of the people and country.

"We thank opposition party for supporting us. With the support of opposition we were able to pass the GST Bill and with the same support will try to pursue the work of Parliament in future and make the role of parliament more affirmative for making India a successful country," Naqvi told ANI.

He said that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and other parties have succeeded in bringing about a revolutionary change in the economic growth of the country by ensuring the passing of the GST Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

The GST Bill was yesterday approved by the Upper House with 203 votes in favour and none against, after a seven-hour debate during which a rare bonhomie was witnessed among the ruling and the opposition parties.

Six official amendments, including scrapping of one per cent additional tax, moved by the government were approved with cent per cent votes.

The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha earlier. It will now go back to the Lower House to incorporate the amendments approved by the Rajya Sabha. The bill will also have to be approved by 50 per cent of all the state assemblies.

AIADMK was the only party to oppose the measure and its members staged a walkout from the House to register their unhappiness over the bill which lays the ground for rollout of uniform GST regime that will subsume all indirect taxes including central excise duty and state VAT/sales tax.