Even as the Opposition Congress supported the resolution for ratification of the 122nd Constitution Amendment Bill (GST) in the State Assembly on Thursday, the party slammed the Government for naming the one-day sitting as a ‘Special Session’ convened for the purpose.
leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said, “There is no provision in the Constitution to convene a Special Session of the State Assembly. Naming a sitting of the House as Special Session leads to violation of Article 174 (1) of the Constitution. The Government by virtue of its majority has adopted a Hitler way of governance.”
To this, Speaker Niranjan Pujari said there is no difference between a sitting and special sitting as there has been a practice in Odisha to name such sittings as special sittings.
Mishra stated that the Congress has supported the GST Bill as all of its suggestions, excepting ‘capping of the tax limit’, has been accepted by the Union Government.
Mishra, however, requested the Government to protect the interest of the poorest of poor people and increase the capping of the tax limit to 18 per cent at the GST Council.
“Under the GST, both the poor and the reach will give same rate of tax. I appeal to the State Government to see that interest of the poor is best protected,” said Mishra.
The GST Council would decide the new tax rate and other issues before it is approved by the President, sources said.