Bihar passes GST Bill; second state to do so after Assam

The Bihar state assembly has just passed the crucial Goods and Services Tax Bill (GST Bill) becoming the second state in the country to do so. 

After the amended GST Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha and then the Lok Sabha, unanimously, the GST Bill now needs to be ratified by atleast 15 states. 

Assam was the first state to ratify the Constitution Amendment Bill related to the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

At least 50% of the states have to pass the Constitution 122 Amendment Bill, 2014, for the next steps of legislative action to follow to ultimately introduce a pan-India Goods and Services Tax regime.

The amendments to the Goods and Services Tax bill were cleared by the Lok Sabha unanimously on August 8. The earlier bill, which was passed in 2015 in Lok Sabha, was finally passed in the Rajya Sabha last week months after Opposition parties led by the Congress demanded certain changes in the bill.

The GST is aimed at bringing uniform tax regime in the country by subsuming state levies.

Under it, a single rate of GST will replace various taxes to ensure seamless transfer of goods and services.

The Jharkhand Assembly is likely to be convened on August 17 to ratify the bill, while Gujarat Assembly is all set to ratify the Constitution Amendment Bill on GST during its two-day session beginning August 22.