Bihar assembly passes GST Bill amid ruckus created by opposition

The Assembly could not transact any business in both the sessions except for passage of the Bill on GST.

The House proceedings lasted for eight minutes during pre-lunch session while the post-lunch session could barely run for 17 minutes.

The central government has already got the amendments passed by the Parliament over GST and states have to ratify them as the state government had brought an ordinance due to the fact that the state legislature was not in session.

As the House assembled in the post-lunch session at 2 PM, the opposition members from RJD, Congress and CPI(ML) rushed into the well of the House raising slogans against the Nitish Kumar government and demanding discussion on the adjournment motion moved by them on law and order situation.

The opposition had disrupted the proceedings in the first half on the same issue, forcing Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary to adjourn the House till 2 PM.

The opposition members continued with their demand even during the post-lunch session on the same issue by rushing again into the well demanding that their adjournment motion over "deteriorating" law and order situation be accepted for the debate.

The Speaker pleaded with them to go back to their seats and allow the Question Hour as nothing is being heard even LOP's voice in the din created by them (opposition).

On this, Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav said there was no point in getting the Bill passed when the House was not in order.

"The debate on deteriorating law and order situation in the state should be taken up in the House by accepting our adjourment motion. The Supreme Court today came down heavily on the state government during a hearing of the Muzaffarpur shelter home case," Yadav said.

He drew attention to a recent incident in which Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi had allegedly urged criminals with folded hands to refrain from anti-social activities during the 'Pitri Paksh' fair at Gaya.

Amid pandemonium, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi introduced the Bill for its passage after the debate on it.

The debate could not take place due to noisy scenes in the House and hence Dy CM tabled his reply on the floor of the House and requested the Speaker to make the text the part of House proceedings.

Talking to reporter later in his assembly premises chamber, Modi said as per the amendment Bill, the threshold limit has been increased to Rs 1.5 crore from the existing Rs 1 crore under for composition scheme.

He added that dealers under composition scheme will not have to file monthly returns rather they will have to file quarterly returns with one per cent of annual tax.

The Bill has withhold the "Reverse Charge Mechanism" (RCM) following the opposition by taxpayers, he said adding that RCM used to be levied on the taxpayer if he/she (taxpayer) purchases goods or services from "unregistered supplier". The matter has been put on hold till GST Council decides on the issue, Modi said.

As per the amendment, a trader can get multiple registration done in the state for carrying out his business on a single PAN, the Dy CM said while adding that till now a trader was able to get one registration against one PAN.

In the event of disputes on tax amount, a trader has to deposit 10 per cent of the disputed amount for filing an appeal with no capping of upper limit but now the maximum amount has been capped at Rs 25 crore for filing an appeal against any tax dispute, Modi said.