Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 31: The Legislative Assembly today passed the Jammu and Kashmir Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
The Bill, seeking to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, was moved in the House by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
“A Bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (Act No. V of 2017) (L.A. Bill No. 8 of 2025),” reads the Bill passed in the House. It was passed unanimously through a voice vote.
During the discussion, MLA Pavan Gupta raised the issue of reforms, stating that many structural reforms were not implemented by J&K.
“On reforms, in the last session, I had given the reforms to the CM. This was the new law and many structural reforms were not done by J&K. I am suggesting that with the Bill, the reforms must also come,” he said.
Responding to the concern, the Chief Minister said the GST Act was not J&K’s but a federal law, and changes could not be made at the Assembly level.
“Member was the MoS Finance. More than me, he knows it well about it. All the reforms have to be approved by the GST Council. Once the Council approves, then it comes to the states and UTs for ratification,” he said.
“What I am putting in front of the House,” the Chief Minister added, “has been approved by the Council and now it has come for ratification.”
He further said that discussing reforms at this stage would serve no purpose.
“Once the Council approves, that can be brought to the House for ratification. As of now, I am urging the House to approve what has been done by the Council and pass this Bill.”
Gupta, however, clarified, “The reforms I am saying pertain to the state.”
Intervening in the discussion, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather told Gupta that if he wanted reformatory measures in the J&K GST Act, he was free to introduce a separate Bill in the House, convince members, and get it passed.
“By this Act, we cannot ensure the reforms you are referring to. It has a limited scope.”
The Speaker stressed that the decision has been taken in the Council, “we cannot amend it at this stage and you have not given any amendment. We should not waste time and pass this Bill.”
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