Ahead of the special assembly session this Friday, Governor Banwarilal Purohit has raised concerns over two GST amendment Bills presented by the Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Party government for endorsement. Set for discussion, these financial Bills have received partial approvals— one from the GST Council in July and the other from the Lok Sabha in March.
Governor Purohit’s concerns stem from a substantial delay in one amendment’s approval from the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and a lack of GST Council’s July meeting records accompanying the file for his approval. The latter concern touches on a Bill proposing a 28% GST levy on online gaming. Reassurance comes from a senior state Finance Department official who pledged to address the Governor’s queries by Thursday.
The second amendment, requiring the Governor’s nod for establishing a GST Appellate Tribunal in Punjab, follows an initial recommendation in March’s Finance Bill by the Lok Sabha. This move aims to expedite GST-related dispute resolutions, as Punjab remains one of the 11 states without a state Appellate Authority.
