The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed three key Bills without any participation from Opposition members who protested outside the House over suspension of over 140 of their colleagues. The House passed The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill, 2023; Central Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill; and the Provisional Collection of Taxes Bill, 2023 with a voice vote following brief discussions where only MPs from the BJP and its allies participated. The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill, 2023 aims to protect unauthorised colonies from demolition or sealing for three more years. The GST Bill aims to bring certain sections of the CGST Act dealing with appellate tribunals in consonance with the Tribunal Reforms Act-2021. The Provisional Collection of Taxes Bill-2023 will give immediate effect to the changes in customs and excise duties announced in the Budget. It seeks to obtain the authority from Parliament to provisionally levy and collect the newly imposed or increased duties of customs and excise for 75 days. Introducing the GST Bill, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the discrepancies between CGST Act and Tribunal Reforms Act had been brought to the notice of the Ministry by the CJI and hence an amendment had to be brought. “…one of the points on which the CJI drew our attention to is that the maximum age limit for the post of the President of the Appellate Tribunal and Members is 67 and 65 years [respectively] in the CGST Act …Under the Tribunal Reforms Act 2021, it is 70 and 67 years, respectively. The second point. the CGST did not have a provision relating to the eligibility of an Advocate with a standing of 10 years at the Bar for appointment as Judicial Member whereas same is available in the Tribunal Reforms Act,” shesaid. During the debate, 5 members, 4 from NDA and 1 from YSRCP, participated. In the debate on the Provisional Collection of Taxes Bill only two members, both NDA, participated.
