Special legislature session on GST Bill likely to be cancelled

 A day-long special session of the state legislature convened on September 14 to ratify the Constitutional amendment Bill on GST is likely to be cancelled.

A final decision in this regard will be taken at the Cabinet meeting on Saturday, a senior minister said. 

The special session was convened so that Karnataka could become one of the 16 states to ratify the GST Bill. At least 16 states have to ratify any Constitutional amendment bill after it is passed by Parliament.

However, the GST Bill has now been passed by 18 states and it has become a law. Karnataka’s gesture to ratify the bill at this stage would be a mere formality. Sources said the Cabinet would pass a resolution stating that it has adopted the Bill.

The Cabinet is also likely to discuss the Cauvery issue and the stand to be taken by the state at the Cauvery Supervisory Committee meeting scheduled for September 12 in New Delhi.

Official sources in the Council secretariat said Governor Vajubhai Vala can call off the session if the Cabinet recommends him to do so. The Assembly and the Council secretariat will withdraw notifications issued to convene the session if the Governor issues a direction to do so, the sources added.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said there was no need to convene the special session of the legislature as the President has already given his assent to the GST Constitutional amendment Bill. 

“The special session was convened to ratify the Bill. But now there is no need for the session. We can ratify the Bill at the winter session of the legislature likely to be held in November this year,” he told reporters. He, however, said that the Cabinet will take the final decision on Saturday.