Page 42 - GSTL_23rd April 2020_Vol 35_Part 4

J70 GST LAW TIMES [ Vol. 35
The Cabinet had approved the decision to convert GSTN, incorporated
on March 28, 2013, into a fully Government-owned entity in September, 2018.
“The Central Government has bought its share and it is ready to own the
company, but GSTN for now continues to be privately held,” said another senior
official, also requesting anonymity. The official said that for States, the focus
right now is completely on restarting economic activity amid the harvest season
and ensuring the Covid-19 pandemic does not spread.
Queries sent to the Finance Ministry and GSTN remained unanswered
till press time on 17-4-2020.
The Centre holds about 24.5% equity in GSTN, with an equal amount
held by all States, Union Territories and the Empowered Committee of State
Finance Ministers. The balance 51% - which the Centre and States are buying - is
held by non-Government financial institutions, including LIC Housing Finance,
which owns 11%, and HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, HDFC Ltd. and NSE Strategic
Investment Co., each owning about 10%.
The Council had decided in May, 2018 to make GSTN a fully Govern-
ment-owned entity as all GST processes, including registration, filing of returns,
payment of taxes and processing of refunds, is done on the platform. The net-
work handles large-scale invoice level data of thousands of business entities, in-
cluding data relating to exports and imports, akin to functions that are usually
conducted by the Government.
[Source : The Economic Times, New Delhi, dated 18-4-2020]

Calcutta HC judge appointed Chief Justice of Bombay HC
After two months of uncertainty with the senior-most judge tendering
his resignation and the second senior-most getting transferred to Meghalaya,
Bombay High Court will get a new Chief Justice from Calcutta HC to succeed
incumbent Justice B.P. Dharamdhikari, who retires on April 27.
The Supreme Court collegium has decided to recommend to the Gov-
ernment to appoint Justice Dipankar Datta of Calcutta HC as the C.J. of Bombay
HC. Because of the lockdown, the collegium members did not meet at one place
as has been the practice and decided the new C.J. of Bombay HC through circula-
tion of the file.
Bombay HC has been in crisis for the past two months. When the colle-
gium attempted to transfer senior-most judge S.C. Dharmadhikari, he resigned
on February 15 despite having over two-years tenure left. Five days later, the SC
collegium transferred the second senior-most judge Justice S.V. More, to Megha-
laya HC. On February 24, it appointed Justice B.P. Dharmadhikari as C.J. for a
term of a little over two months.
[Source : The Times of India, New Delhi, dated 20-4-2020]

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GST LAW TIMES  23rd April 2020  162
( A70 )