WEB DESK
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said her party will not attend the GST roll-out programme on June 30 midnight as she flayed the “unnecessary hurry” to roll it out.
The TMC supremo termed the GST roll-out as another “epic blunder” by the Centre. She said that her Parliamentary Party has decided not to attend the Friday’s midnight programme at Parliament House to celebrate GST, as a mark of protest. She said that her party is deeply concerned about GST implementation.
After demonetisation, this unnecessary disastrous hurry is another epic blunder of the Centre, she said on Facebook. She said the entire business community, especially the small and medium ones, are scared and confused.
Essential commodities such as medicines are not available in many places and prices of various commodities are rising for lack of clarity and mismanagement, she said. Ms. Banerjee said, that her party has always been fighting for maintaining the federal structure of the country, even if Bengal at times was the lone voice and conscience of the GST Council.
Taking a dig at the BJP, Ms. Banerjee said, the current ruling party at the Centre had initially strongly opposed GST for over 7 years and suddenly did a somersault on coming to office as a champion of GST.
Ms. Banejee said that the economy is not yet ready to face the GST from the 1st of next month. The 3-day strike declared by the textile industries in the country was the evidence of her party’s deep concerns on the lack of preparedness. Small business entities are not yet ready with basic requirements like invoice, accounting system, IT system, etc.