Amid growing speculation and concern in media circles following the withdrawal of the Income Tax Bill from the Lok Sabha on August 8, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on August 9 clarified the government’s position.
He assured that the new Income Tax Bill, scheduled to be tabled on August 11 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, will incorporate all the amendments recommended by the Select Committee and accepted by the government.
“It is being presumed that there will be an entirely new bill, ignoring the earlier bill for which a lot of work was done, and all the time and effort spent will go to waste,” Rijiju said, dismissing such fears as baseless.
The Select Committee, chaired by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, submitted 285 amendments to the Income Tax Bill, all of which have been accepted by the government. Rijiju explained that reintroducing a fresh bill including all these changes is a standard parliamentary practice, especially when the number of amendments is large.
“Introducing each amendment separately and seeking approval would have been tedious,” he noted.
The withdrawal of the earlier bill and its reintroduction as a consolidated new version simplifies the process, allowing Parliament to consider and pass it more efficiently.
Rijiju emphasised that the new bill will not be different in essence but will faithfully reflect the collective efforts and suggestions made over the last six months.
“On the contrary, the hard work done by each one and the suggestions will get reflected in the new Income Tax Bill, which the finance minister will introduce in the Lok Sabha,” he added.
