Jammu and Kashmir Assembly ratifies recent amendments to GST Act

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Friday ratified the amendments to the Goods and Services Tax Act, which were passed recently in the GST Council.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah moved the bill in the assembly for ratification.

The bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 was taken into consideration after a voice vote.

However, BJP MLA Pawan Gupta wanted to move amendments to the bill, but was turned down by Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather who said amendments cannot be made at this stage.

"I am talking about reforms which are to be done by the state. We are not challenging the Central Act," Gupta said.

Chief Minister Abdullah responded to the demand, saying Gupta has been MoS Finance and knows it better than him that the GST is a federal act and no change can be made in this assembly.

"What I am putting before the House has been approved by GST council. We are only putting it for ratification," Abdullah added.

Speaker Rather said the Act cannot be amended at this stage and the bill should be passed without wasting the time of the House.

The bill was then passed through a voice vote.