Countdown for GST rollout begins. War room set up, rehearsals tomorrow

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   Countdown for GST rollout begins. War room set up, rehearsals tomorrow

   The government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the launch event of Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout is remembered for generations to come.
   

   
   

   

Highlights

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  A gong will be sounded at Parliament to mark beginning of GST regime
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  War room will answer queries of government officials on GST
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  Dress rehearsal will be held at Parliament tomorrow

As India readies for the historic rollout of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on July 1, the government is now working overtime for a smooth welcome to India's biggest tax reform.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have his 'Nehru moment' as the historic Central Hall of Parliament will host a midnight function on June 30 to launch the sweeping tax reform measure

The GST rollout function at the joint session of both Houses of Parliament will be reminiscent of India's tryst with destiny on the midnight of August 15, 1947 when India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had delivered the historic speech on India's 'Tryst with Destiny'.

As the clock strikes 12, a gong will be sounded at midnight in the Parliament to signify that GST has arrived. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the key speaker on the dais where President Pranab Mukherjee and former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and Deve Gowda will also be present.

On one hand, hectic preparations are going on in the Parliament to ensure the historic occasion remains glitch-free and for generations to remember, and on the other hand the finance ministry has set up a war room where government officials can find solutions to urgent queries related to problems on GST.
The GST feedback and action room will be equipped with multiple phone lines and computer systems. It will be operative from 8 am to 10 pm.

Officials said it will act as a quick resource centre for central and state government officials to address their queries on the historic tax reform scheduled to be implemented from July 1.

To ensure everything goes as planned on the midnight of June 30 and July 1, the government has also planned a mega rehearsal tomorrow in the Central Hall of Parliament at 10 PM.

A senior minister will supervise the rehearsal in which finance ministry officials will be present.

The circular-shaped Central Hall, which has six galleries on its first floor, is used for holding joint sittings of the two Houses.
On June 30, the event will start around 11 PM and will be on till half past midnight.

The function will mirror the contribution made by different political parties and states to the revolutionary new tax regime.
In the meantime, the main Opposition party Congress is yet to decide on whether they will be present during the GST launch event.
Congress is likely to announce its decision tomorrow. Other Opposition parties, including the Left parties, are also yet to decide on whether to participate in the event.
The GST Bill was originally piloted by Pranab Mukherjee when he was the finance minister in the previous UPA regime.