PTI
New Delhi
Confident of support from regional parties like SP, BSP and DMK, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Monday hoped that the GST Bill will be approved in the monsoon session of Parliament and said the government will not relent on crackdown against corruption to win Congress backing.
As the NDA government completes two years in office, Jaitley painted a rosy picture of the economy, saying growth could accelerate further to 10 per cent as bad loan situation is improving and all steps have been taken to dig out black money.
The minister further said that since the NDA came to power, the country has been “definitely witnessing good days” compared to the days of scam and corruption and “policy paralysis” that marked the UPA regime.
Speaking at two separate events during the day, Jaitley said that because of the decisive leadership provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past two years, India has emerged as a 'bright spot or sweet spot' while other major economies are facing a slowdown.
The economic growth rate, the minister said, could accelerate to 10 per cent on the back of good monsoon and global tailwinds.
“If the growth momentum continues for another 10-20 years, it would be possible to remove the scourge of poverty,” Jaitley asserted.
Fielding questions on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, which is pending in the Rajya Sabha because of stiff opposition from the Congress, the minister said regional parties, including UPA allies like DMK and NCP, are all making strong noises in support of the tax legislation.
“I am reasonably confident because... every political party, including Congress, favours the GST. In fact, Congress should have had the vision to support it more aggressively because they could claim the original authorship of the idea,” Jaitley said when asked if he was confident of passing the Bill in the monsoon session.
Moreover, he added, when it comes to the crunch, “it would be extremely difficult even for the Congress party to take a contrarian view”.
Probed further on the possibility of political support for pending Bills, the minister said the government will not compromise on fight against corruption to get the legislations approved by Parliament.
