Winter Session Day 1: Lok Sabha passes Manipur GST Bill, FM moves bills to repurpose levies on tobacco - The Indian Express

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Bill was brought to give statutory backing to decisions taken at the 56th meeting of the GST Council. She said the Council had approved rationalisation of GST rates on about 375 items by merging the 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent slabs into two slabs of 5 and 18 per cent, with a new 40 per cent rate proposed for ultra-luxury items. The revised rates were implemented from September 22.

To align state laws with the new rate structure, amendments were required in the Manipur Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. Sitharaman said the Central GST law had already been amended through Sections 121 to 134 of the Finance Act, 2025, and corresponding changes were urgently needed in Manipur to avoid repugnancy with the Central Act.

A statutory resolution seeking disapproval of the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Ordinance was moved by RSP member NK Premachandran. While TDP member Krishna Prasad Tenneti, who was in the Chair, called upon Premachandran to speak, the RSP member said the House was not in order due to continuing protests.

As Opposition members continued to demonstrate in the well of the House demanding a discussion on the SIR being carried out in 12 states and Union Territories, the Chair then called BJP member Shashank Mani, who spoke in support of the Bill. The resolution to disapprove the Ordinance was subsequently rejected by a voice vote, after which the Bill was passed in the same manner. After the passage of the Bill, the House was adjourned for the day.

Also on Monday, the Finance Minister moved two new bills in Lok Sabha that look to repurpose levies on ‘sin goods’ such as tobacco, pan masala and related products ahead of the scheduled phaseout of the GST compensation cess levied on them.

The Central Excise (Amendment) Bill seeks to levy excise duty on tobacco and related products, while ‘The Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025’ would be applicable on manufacturing of pan masala and other goods that the government may notify.

The bills, introduced amid din in the Lok Sabha as Opposition members protested demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, may be taken up for discussion in the House on Tuesday.
TMC member Saugata Ray opposed introduction of the two bills saying that tobacco is harmful but the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill does not mention that. With regard to the Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025, Ray said that since cess proceeds are not shared with states he opposes the bill.