The Himachal Pradesh Assembly Monsoon session beginning from Monday 22 August, 2016 will table a bill for ratification of the Constitution Amendment Bill on Goods and Services Tax (GST) an official said today.
Talking to Himvani, the Secretary of Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha said that the Government has forwarded the GST amendment bill to be tabled in the State Assembly and this hill state would become the fourth State after Assam, Bihar and Jharkhand to ratify the bill.
The week long session will have five working sittings with a holiday on August 26 to be sine die on August 27. Chief Minister Mr. Virbhadra Singh who holds the portfolio of finance likely to table the legislation as the State are among the foremost to hail GST bill cleared by the Parliament unanimously.
“The Congress was in favour of the bill,” the Chief Minister told, adding “In fact, the UPA Government had brought this bill.” The political observers said the GST bill was likely to be passed unanimously as in the 68-member assembly, where the Congress has a majority with 36 members and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 27 legislators. There are four independent legislators and one from the Himachal Lokhit Party which has been merged with the BJP. The four independent legislators are associate members of the Congress.
Official sources said the Government during the session would also bring an amendment to regulate the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products. The Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Bill will also be tabled to pave the way for regularising unauthorised buildings — believed to over 25,000 — across the state to replace an ordinance.
