Letters: Time for consensus

With reference to the editorial, "The next challenge" (July 21), it seems the Congress is getting isolated in its opposition to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, as even the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) have been won over by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre.

The JD-U and the TMC have realised that it is in their interest to support the GST Bill as it is expected to bring unprecedented benefits to both Bihar and West Bengal. This is the time for the BJP and other parties to discuss the Bill in detail, as the editorial rightly suggests. This way glitches would be avoided and benefits would be equal for all states when the Bill becomes a law.

If implemented in earnest, GST has the potential to transform the economic landscape of the country. The dream of a single market can be realised in the next financial year only if there is a robust technological platform in place. For this, the government will have to start work on a war footing.

The biggest challenge is expected from states where the BJP is not in power. This makes it more necessary for chief ministers of West Bengal, Bihar and Tamil Nadu - Mamata Banerjee, Nitish Kumar and J Jayalalithaa respectively - to be on the same page with the central government.

The Congress has been asking for a cap on the GST revenue neutral rate. As it has taken years to reach this stage where the GST seems possible, it is better that all issues regarding it are discussed threadbare and resolved with the participation of all stakeholders.

Bal Govind Noida

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