SHILLONG, Sep 16: Curtain came down on the Autumn session of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly here on Friday with the passage of six bills, including the much-talked-about Meghalaya Ropeway Bill, 2022.
Other five bills that were passed by the legislators include Meghalaya Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) (Repealing) Bill, 2022; National Law University of Meghalaya Bill, 2022; Meghalaya Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill, 2022; Meghalaya Professions, Trades, Callings and Employments Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and Meghalaya Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
According to the statement of Objects and Reasons of the Meghalaya Ropeway Bill, 2022, the state government intends to set up a ropeway, viz. Shillong Peak Ropeway in a bid to promote tourism.
“Hence, it is necessary to introduce an enabling legislation that will regulate the sector of passenger ropeways for purpose of safety and also enable the creation of a specialised authority for the development of the present ropeway and other ropeways in the state,” it states.
On the other hand, Meghalaya Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) (Repealing) Bill, 2022 intends to do away with state’s legislation on street vending and follow Centre’s legislation for the same.
As per the statement of Objects and Reasons, while the state legislature had enacted the Meghalaya Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 (Act No. 11 of 2014) and subsequently enforced the same on November 10, 2014, the Parliament enacted the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 (Central Act No. 7 of 2014), which extended to the whole of India, save Jammu and Kashmir.
The Bill, which was passed on Friday, states that while the Acts of both the state and Centre apply in Meghalaya, the state government has examined and subsequently found the central Act to be more comprehensive.
To avoid any confusion or conflict in implementation of the Acts, the Meghalaya Act No. 11 of 2014, i.e., The Meghalaya Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, is repealed, it stated.
Another bill that was passed by the Assembly was the National Law University of Meghalaya Bill, 2022, which aims to provided for the establishment and functioning of the National Law University of Meghalaya in Shillong as mandated by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
The Meghalaya Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which was passed during the day, aims to raise the Fiscal Deficit to four per cent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) by amending Section 4(1)(b) of the Meghalaya Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2006.
According to the statement of Objects and Reasons, the Meghalaya Professions, Trades, Callings and Employments Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, is to further amend the Meghalaya Professions Trades Callings and Employments Taxation (Assam Act VI of 1947 as adapted by Meghalaya) Act, “in order to keep pace with the changing requirements of the times.”
On the other hand, the Meghalaya Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2022, aims to make the Meghalaya Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, more effective in preventing fraudulent claim of input tax credit, improve ease of doing business by taxpayers, amongst other things.
According to the statement of Objects and Reasons, the Act “requires to be amended based on the recommendations of the GST Council”.
