Srinagar, Jul 04 (KNS): Minister for Information Technology, Technical Education and Youth Services & Sports, Imran Raza Ansari today said the double-standards of the opposition and so-called high moral ground is aimed at creating confusion over implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the State to dis-empower the local business community and weaken J&K’s economy.
Reacting to the remarks of NC legislator Devinder Singh Rana over GST, the Minister asked him to stop boasting about his so called "high moral ground" and "lofty achievements". Ansari thundered at Rana, saying that when he (Rana) has himself already obtained the unique GST ID for the businesses he owns including Jamkash Vehicleades, TakeOne Television and M/S JK Vehicleades (Udhampur) in Jammu why is he opposing the new tax regime in Kashmir.
Amid pandemonium, Ansari asked Rana to come clean on his stand over GST, asking him when he has already registered his companies including Jamkash Vehicleades, TakeOne Television, M/S JK Vehicleades (Udhampur) under GST, what moral ground he has to question the implementation of the new tax regime in the State. He quoted from the official documents the unique IDs of Mr Rana’s companies generated under the new tax regime.
Ansari said that while on one hand businessmen-politicians of the opposition shout their lungs out to oppose GST in the House on the other they have already registered their businesses under GST. He said unique GST IDs including 01AACCT0949E2ZS, 01AACJ9126D1ZE and 01AABCJ7387D1ZS have already been generated under GST in the name of companies owned by Mr Rana and his family.
Ansari said that even the former Finance Minister and senior National Conference leader, Abdul Rahim Rather's son Hilal Ahmad Rather has already registered his companies under GST and the IDs generated are 01AAHCS920632ZD for Simula Software Solutions Research Centre Pvt Ltd and also for Simula Software Industry under the GST ID 10AAHCS9206J2ZD.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel“It is an irony that while Mr Rahim Rather is vehemently opposing GST in Kashmir, his son Hilal Rather has already got all his businesses in Jammu registered under the new tax regime,” he said.
“While on one hand these businessmen-turned NC leaders have already got their businesses registered under GST, on the other they are trying to set the State on fire as they have no stakes in Kashmir as their businesses are based in Jammu. But they can't befool people with hollow slogans and so-called high moral ground as the people can see through their game-plan," Ansari said.
He further pointed out that giving away speeches in rosy English won't change the reality that the opposition leaders have “one rule for the self and other rule for the people.”
He also lambasted the opposition for making mockery of the Legislative Assembly proceedings, saying that they don't have any sound argument against GST. "For God sake please stop being hypocritical and stop trying to befool the people,” he told the opposition.
Ansari said the double-standards of this clan of politicians are only aimed at creating confusion and making people of Jammu and Kashmir to suffer on every front. “Time has come when we should stop making things difficult for the people of Kashmir who have already suffered immensely on every front. We must take a conscious decision which is in the interest of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Allaying apprehensions of the opposition and business community, Ansari said that government wouldn’t compromise on fiscal autonomy of the state and no one would be put to disadvantage under GST regime.
Ansari said that a false perception is being created on GST vis-à-vis dilution of J&K’s special status by the vested interest to countermine the State’s economy which is already under immense stress because of the uncertain situation. (KNS)