Panaji, Sep 21 (IANS): Members attending the 37th Goods and Services Tax Council meeting here on Friday, paid their respects to later former Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Jaitley, as Finance Minister in the first Narendra Modi regime, was one of the key players in the roll out of the new tax regime, which came into being in in 2017 and formation of the GST Council.

"It (the meeting) started off with due respects being paid to Arun Jaitley ji. The resolution was read out and then the Council stood up for a minute's silence for the immense contribution Jaitley has made, because he was the chairman and chaired nearly 35 of the GST council meetings," Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who chaired the meeting, told reporters.

"So a remarkable contribution for one nation one tax for my predecessor Arun Jaitley and the entire council recognised his contribution," she also said.

Jaitley, 66, died after a prolonged illness in August this year.