Sinha urges Opposition to aid Centre in pushing reform laws

With the government running against time for passage of the key constitution amendment bill on GST, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha today said the opposition should not indulge in politics of revenge and disruptions, and help Centre in pushing the reform law. "We are always hopeful (on passage of GST)... We are going to keep imploring and pleading our colleagues in Parliament. For God's sake lets pass GST. "We should not let revenge politics and disruption politics to obstruct what is in India's interest," he told Karan Thapar on 'To the Point' programme on India Today TV. The constitution amendment bill for roll out of Goods and Services Tax (GST) has been passed by Lok Sabha, and has to be now cleared by Rajya Sabha, where the government does not enjoy majority of its own. Congress, the main opposition party in the Upper House, had given a dissent note on the recommendations of the Rajya Sabha Select Committee report that scrutinised the bill. The Rajya Sabha has not been able conduct any major business in last two weeks of the Monsoon Session because of disruptions by Congress and other parties. Government plans to roll out GST, a new indirect tax regime from April 1, 2016, but it seems difficult as the new law also needs to be ratified by 50 per cent of the states. On what if the GST passage is delayed, Sinha said government has "contingency" plan and also has a "portfolio of initiatives". "There are certain things we have sequenced now. There are certain things we have sequenced later. If on GST we can not move ahead then we will move ahead on other initiatives... We have whole host of other things we are working on. "We are working on what we can do as far as banking is concerned, National Investment and Infrastructure Fund. GST is vital but of course we have a contingency plan," the Minister said. He said the government is working on portfolio of initiatives as far as infrastructure and banking sectors.