run states are the most obstructionistEverybody in the Indian political class agrees the country must switch to the goods and services tax (GST) regime. Or do they? Centre-state talks have been on for some time to fix GST's contours and modalities of implementation. Yet, as with most reform initiatives in India approaching launch date, petty politics seems to yet again play spoke in the wheel, said The Times of India in an editorial published Wednesday. Excerpts: As it is, states have demanded unreasonable concessions – including on rate structure, central sales tax's continuance and exemption for many items from under GST's ambit – that threaten to distort the purpose of indirect tax rationalization. BJP-run states seem to now have upped the ante on obstructionism. On Monday, their finance ministers skipped a key empowered committee meeting to discuss pending issues, including constitutional amendments mooted for GST's take-off. While Asim Dasgupta, chairing the state finance ministers' panel, has tried to underplay the issue of poor attendance, other ministers present have reportedly said that GST has become prey to political brinkmanship. They have reason. If the BJP simply differed in view with the Centre on matters strictly economic, its representatives would be at the negotiating table. By staying away entirely, the party can't but be seen as conflating inter-party dialogue on GST with the on-going parliamentary logjam on a 2G scam-related JPC probe. Projecting itself as broadly pro-reform as a party in power, the BJP's churlishness as main opposition party at the national level merely smacks of opportunism. __
