Rajya Sabha returns Manipur GST Bill to Lok Sabha 

The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday sent back to the Lok Sabha the Manipur GST Bill, which seeks to replace an ordinance and bring the northeastern state under the GST 2.0 framework. The Lok Sabha had approved the legislation a day earlier. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the updated law would finally extend long-pending GST reforms to Manipur’s people and businesses, allowing the state to benefit from systems already in place across the country.

Responding to the debate, Sitharaman criticised the Opposition for what she described as performative concern for Manipur. She said Opposition parties routinely raised questions about the situation in the state but failed to participate when legislation concerning Manipur came up for discussion.

She noted that they had stayed away even during the state’s budget Bill earlier and accused them of showing “selective sympathy” while avoiding parliamentary debate. Sitharaman said the reforms, including a track-and-trace mechanism and clearer tax structures, would remove uncertainty for local enterprises and help restore financial stability in a state recovering from conflict.

During the debate, members raised concerns over the GST structure. Sitharaman clarified that the 28 per cent slab had been largely dismantled, with many goods shifted to the 18 per cent bracket. BJD MP Sulata Deo urged the government to end President’s Rule in Manipur and hold elections. She also pointed out that India had once carried one of the highest GST rates globally.

Supporting the Bill, YSRCP’s Ayodhya Rami Reddy Alla said reduced compliance and greater transparency would help Manipur rebuild, noting that violence in the state had sharply declined over the past decade before rising again in 2023.

He said sustainable peace required addressing gaps between hill and valley regions and between tribal and majority communities. More than 260 people have been killed since ethnic clashes erupted in May 2023.

Nominated member Harsh Vardhan Shringla said a predictable GST regime would draw investment and assist Manipur’s economic recovery.