Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Wednesday adopted a resolution for implementing the GST in the state by voice vote, amid protests by the National Conference and Congress. J & K was the only state left behind to implement the GST after all other states did so on !st July. The resolution moved by state Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu yesterday called for a presidential order to safeguard the special status and exclusive taxation powers of the state. Moving the resolution he said, Article 370 of the constitution is not compromised in any way through this presidential order.
Earlier, replying to the debate, Drabu said the resolution calls upon the Centre to implement the GST in the state while incorporating safeguards for protecting its special status and exclusive taxation powers. He said the business activity in the state had dropped to almost 50 per cent due to non-implementation of the GST after the new regime was rolled out in the rest of the country, causing losses to the state exchequer.