GST: All about the midnight session of Parliament

Former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and H D Deve Gowda are expected to be at the session.

July 1 will see the rollout of India's biggest tax reform-GST. The GST is touted to be the biggest change in tax regime since Independence GST is an indirect tax that would replace all central and state taxes with a single tax. The bill would be rolled out at a midnight joint parliamentary session on June 30.

Why the midnight session is significant?

On the 50th year of Independence there was a midnight session of Parliament. Holding a midnight session is celebratory in nature. Prior to this the midnight session has taken place only twice- 50th year of Independence and 50th anniversary of the Quit India Movement. This would be the first time that a mid-night session of Parliament would be held to celebrate a current event when compared to celebrating events in the past.

What is expected?

The schedule states that the change over to the new tax system is expected to take place exactly at midnight. There is a historic importance attached to the even. The session would be addressed by President of India Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. The session is expected to last an hour. Tlaunch would be done through a laptop and two short films on GST would be screened.

Who will take part:

There is a question mark on who from the opposition would take part in the event. On June 19 Parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar wrote an invitation letter to all members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Around 600 people including ministers and GST officials are expected at the event.

Former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and H D Deve Gowda are expected to be at the session and would be on the podium at the time of the launch according to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Vice-President Hamid Ansari and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will also be present.

The Congress is still in an undecided mode. The tax structure is after all the brainchild of the party and staying away from it would send a wrong signal. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the other hand has publicly declared that her party, the TMC would not be part of the session. She had questioned the hurried manner in which the tax reform was implemented.

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