Congress hits back at BJP over GST "losses"

Congress in Maharashtra today claimed BJP has caused a loss of Rs 60 lakh crore to the country by opposing the GST Bill which was proposed by the party, then ruling at the Centre, way back in 2006.
Maharashtra alone has lost Rs 6 lakh crore due to non- implementation of the proposed law which seeks to reform indirect tax system and treat the entire country as a single market, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant told reporters here.
Sawant was replying to the criticism by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who a few days ago held Opposition Congress responsible for the logjam in Parliament, which could not pass the landmark Bill due to repeated disruptions and ruckus.

"Devendraji Fadnavis says the Congress caused a loss of Rs 20,000 crore to the state exchequer by opposing the GST Bill. But that is not true. We have always been in support of the Bill which we proposed in 2006.
"If BJP was so concerned about the losses, why didn't they let us clear the Bill in the last 10 years?" he asked.
He said the Congress only wanted the BJP-led Government to consider three important changes in the Bill, which the party had suggested for the benefit of people.

"If according to the BJP we caused a loss of Rs 20,000 crore to the state ex-chequer, then it is the duty of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to tell the people why did they cause a loss of Rs 60 lakh crore to the country and a loss of Rs 6 lakh crore to the state ex-chequer by not allowing the Bill's passage in 10 years or 30 sessions of Parliament," Sawant said.

Meanwhile, President of Maharashtra Pradesh Yuvak Congress Vishwajeet Kadam said Youth Congress would take out a march to the secretariat here on August 19.
The Youth Congress workers would gherao the secretariat and demand that the Fadnavis Government do justice to farmers and force BJP Cabinet Ministers accused of corruption to resign, he said.
"About 9,000-10,000 Youth Congress workers will gherao Mantralaya (secretariat) on August 19 and demand that the CM sack tainted Ministers and take firm steps for prevent farmer suicides," Kadam said.