Category: General News

General News

GST latest assault on special status: Joint Resistance Leadership

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Kashmir’s joint resistance leadership comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik on Wednesday termed implementation of Goods and Service Tax regime in J&K as a “latest assault” on state’s special status. In a statement here, the leaders said the government is “punishing and harassing” the resilient people of Downtown by imposing restrictions and curbs there. It has become a regular feature of the “anti-Kashmir ruling regime” which keeps breaking its records of repression and revenge on people, they said. “The arm-twisting tactics of the authorities which…

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Amid opposition, Assembly moves resolution on GST

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For the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST), the ruling PDP-BJP government today moved a resolution before the Legislative Assembly even as the opposition parties claimed it was non-admissible and it lacked clarity on constitutional safeguards for the fiscal autonomy of the state. The five-day special session of the Legislature, which started today, was convened to evolve a consensus over the extension of the GST to the state. Except J&K, the new tax regime was rolled out across the country on July 1. Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu moved…

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Stand on Article 370 and GST is “Unambiguous and Clear”: Syed Ali Geelani

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The faction of separatist amalgam Hurriyat Conference defended its chairman Syed Ali Geelani today by saying that his stand on Article 370 and GST is “unambiguous and clear”. The separatist faction said, “They won’t budge an inch or compromise on the sacrifices laid for a sacred cause”. The Hurriyat faction was responding to a joint statement issued by senior leaders of the National Conference, who had accused Geelani of attempting to “bail out the PDP-BJP government” over the issue of extending the GST to the state. Geelani’s faction responded by…

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Assembly adjourned after opposition creates ruckus over GST implementation, Media Gag

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Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly was on Tuesday adjourned for half-an-hour following protests by opposition over gag on media. Journalists boycotted the proceedings after they were barred by the government from taking their mobile phones and cameras inside the House. The order was later withdrawn. However, journalists returned to the House only after the Speaker Kavinder Gupta apologised and assured such gag wouldn’t be repeated. Opposition parties, including the main National Conference party, created a ruckus over the absence of media, as soon as the House reconvened today to discuss…

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Centre asks forces to plan major offensive in Kashmir

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Security forces are planning to take an aggressive stand to crush growing terrorism in the Valley and prevent people from joining terror outfits such as LeT or Hizbul Mujahideen mainly active in various districts of south Kashmir. The Union home ministry is learnt to have asked security agencies to draw up a concrete plan to stem public support which hampers anti-terror operations. The instructions come days after Union home minister Rajnath Singh said the government had a “concrete strategy” for a “permanent solution” to the Kashmir issue. The central government…

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Geelani ‘again’ trying to bail out PDP govt: National Conference

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The opposition National Conference on Monday hit out at Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani over his statement on Goods and Services Tax, saying he has “yet again gone out of way to distort the state’s history to bail out the PDP-BJP government—this time on the crucial and sensitive issue of GST extension to the state.” In a joint statement, senior NC leaders Ali Muhammad Sagar, Abdur Rahim Rather, Chaudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Mubarak Gul, Muhammad Shafi Uri, Muhammad Akbar Lone, Mian Altaf Ahmed, Nasir Aslam Wani and Devender Singh…

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Civil Society, Traders form new body to oppose GST

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Upping the ante against Goods and Service Tax (GST) law, all Kashmir-based trade bodies and a civil society formations on Sunday came together to form the “Kashmir Coordination Committee” to resist implementation of the new tax regime in the state. The decision followed a series of meeting between trade and business bodies and civil society groups to pressurize the government to come up with its own law on the GST, said former president Federation Chambers of Industries Kashmir, Shakeel Qalander. He said around 30 trade bodies and civil society groups…

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For now, Traders and Consumers to bear ‘Double Tax’ brunt

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Major FMCG players may face a severe crisis as they will be running short of supplies in the very first week of July. With Goods and Services Tax being rolled out from July 1 across India, people in Jammu and Kashmir will have to face double taxation on import and export of commodities, triggering fears of soaring prices till a consensus is evolved over extension of the new tax regime to the state. As the central government is bringing India under “one country, one tax” from July 1, the state…

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Work on Smart City project to begin soon

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After making it to the final list, the work on the Rs 3,500-crore Srinagar Smart City project is set to begin soon with the government promising to complete the project in a fixed time frame. Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Commissioner Shafqat Khan said the government was committed to start the work soon and develop the overall infrastructure of the city which was home to over 11 lakh residents. “There will be development of the overall infrastructure in Srinagar city with smart interventions in everything to make it people-friendly. The work…

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Rift wide open in BJP-PDP coalition

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It’s now clear that Jammu and Kashmir will not be a part of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, which is bringing the Indian economy under a single tax bracket from July 1 as the state failed to evolve a consensus on its implementation. The move, however, has not only put the ruling alliance partner BJP in the dock but has also brought in the open the saffron party’s serious differences with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The BJP claimed the state government failed to implement the GST in…

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