Venkaiah promises to take builders issues to PMs notice

Union Minister says his meeting with AICC President Sonia Gandhi is to seek the Congress party support for GST and Real Estate Bills

Hyderabad: Union Minister for Urban Development M Venkaiah Nadiu on Friday hoped that the long-pending GST Bill would be passed in Parliament at the earliest. He called on political parties to unite for building prosperous and stable India.

"I request all of you including political parties to unite to unleash the force of growth and make prosperous and stable India. I met the Congress President yesterday to seek support of Congress for the GST Bill and the Real Estate Bill.

We may belong to different political parties in elections and politics...When it comes to the question of nation building we are one party that is developmental party," he said, addressing the All India Builders Convention here.

He also said his meeting with Sonia Gandhi was not a politically-motivated meeting but in the interest of the development of the country. "Yesterday, I called on Sonia Gandhi because it is not a political issue. Politics of poverty has to be replaced by politics of development.

Because need of the hour is development and good governance," the Parliamentary Affairs
Minister added. Referring to experts' opinion, Naidu said passage of the GST Bill may increase the GDP growth by 1.5 to 2 per cent.

"Experts say the passage of GST Bill will enhance GDP by 1.5 to 2 per cent. In that case I only hope that we join together to see that enough public opinion is created and GST Bill is also passed at the earliest opportunity."

He assured the Builders Association that he would take delegation of its representatives to the Prime Minister for voicing the industry's concerns. Telangana State Chief Minister
K Chandrashekar Rao said builders and contractors would also play vital role in nation building.