Lok Sabha Passes Finance Bill without Discussion

· LS approves setting up of GST appellate tribunal

· Benches of the GST appellate tribunal would be set up in every state while there will be a principal bench in Delhi which will hear appeals related to 'place of supply'.

Amid ruckus by opposition members demanding a JPC probe into the allegations of Hindenburg Research against the Adani group of companies, the Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Finance Bill 2023 giving effect to tax proposals without any debate.

The Finance Bill was passed with several official amendments.

Besides, 20 more sections have been added to the Bill.

On Thursday, the Lok Sabha had passed the Appropriation Bill in less than nine minutes, without any discussion in the House, paving the way for the Centre to spend over Rs 45 lakh crore in the next financial year.

While the House was taking up the Bill, several opposition members were in the well raising slogans and holding placards demanding probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee into the allegations against Adani group of companies following a report by a US based short-seller.

LS approves setting up of GST appellate tribunal

With passing of the Finance Bill, the Lok Sabha also paved the way for setting up of an appellate tribunal for resolution of disputes under GST.

Currently, taxpayers are filing writ petitions before high courts in the absence of the appellate tribunal.

As per the amendments proposed in the Finance Bill 2023, benches of the GST appellate tribunal would be set up in every state while there will be a principal bench in Delhi which will hear appeals related to 'place of supply'.

Even after more than five years of implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the appellate tribunal has not been set up. As a result, unresolved legal matters under GST have accumulated.

As sloganeering continued, the chair adjourned the proceedings of the House till Monday.