''UPA cannot roll out GST without support from non-Cong govt''

Vadodara, Feb 20 (PTI)Gujarat''s Minister of State forFinance Saurabh Patel today said that it would be difficultfor the UPA government to implement GST (Goods and ServiceTax) without the support of non-Congress ruled states likeGujarat, Tamil Nadu, Utter Pradesh among others.

The issue has not got resolved due to the UPAgovernment''s indecisiveness and its policy of ignoringfinancial interests of the states, Patel told PTI.

Reacting to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh''s statement toelectronic media on Thursday blaming Gujarat government fordelay in the rollout of GST, Patel said the arrest of thestate minister that Prime Minister talked about happened onJuly 25, 2010, but Gujarat government had suggested awell-thought out approach towards GST before that.

He pointed out that at a meeting held on June 16, 2010with Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Gujarat ChiefMinister Narendra Modi insisted upon a nation-wide IT networkfor successful implementation of GST.

Mukherjee immediately accepted the suggestion and gavenecessary direction to his secretary. Before this, Gujaratgovernment had submitted an alternative model draft beforecentral government and the empowered committee in the presenceof secretaries of central government in January, 2010, Patelsaid.(MORE)PTI COR ABC