Lok Sabha Clears Manipur GST Amendment Bill During Protests & Heated Winter Session

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025, despite loud protests and continuous disruptions during the Winter Session.

The House passed the legislation to support the government’s broader effort. The move aligns state tax systems with national GST reforms.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Bill to replace the Manipur GST Ordinance, promulgated on October 7 under President’s Rule. She said the state urgently needed parity with recent changes in the Central GST Act through Sections 121-134 of the Finance Act, 2025.

The Bill updates the Manipur GST Act, 2017. It streamlines tax slabs, merges overlapping rates, and introduces a sharp 40 per cent levy on ultra-luxury items.

The 56th GST Council recommended the changes to increase revenue, curb evasion, and ease compliance.

Finance Minister Sitharaman called the amendments timely and critical for a state facing administrative challenges under President’s Rule since February 13, 2025. She said the reforms would integrate Manipur’s tax structure with national norms and support traders and consumers.

FM Sitharaman said the changes would strengthen fiscal autonomy. She added that they would also aid economic revival in a region coping with ethnic tensions and insurgency.

BJP MP Shashank Mani supported the Bill and urged its immediate passage. Opposition MPs from Congress and Trinamool Congress staged protests over electoral issues.

They particularly opposed the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 12 states. Their disruptions forced two adjournments earlier in the day.

Trinamool MP Saugata Roy criticised the timing of the Bill, saying it placed additional pressure on Manipur’s conflict-affected citizens. Treasury benches rejected the charge and backed the reform push.

The Lok Sabha approved the Bill through a voice vote, and it now moves to the Rajya Sabha.

The Upper House may take it up by week’s end, along with other economic measures, including the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill that proposes 100 per cent FDI in insurance.

Experts say the amendment strengthens GST’s uniform architecture. For Manipur’s ₹5,000-crore economy, driven by agriculture and handlooms, the reform offers a chance for stability as Parliament advances a packed economic agenda.

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