The Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas Bill that seeks to expedite resolution of pending tax disputes was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday even as normal proceedings in both houses of Parliament remain paralysed for the third day in a row over the Opposition’s demand for an immediate discussion on the Delhi riots .
Also read | Parliament proceedings live | Lok Sabha passes Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas Bill
Earlier, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi informed that the government would debate the issue in the Lower House on March 11, a day after Holi, and in the Rajya Sabha on March 12.
As soon as the day’s proceedings started, Congress members in the Lok Sabha trooped into the well of the house raising slogans and demanded an immediate discussion on the Delhi riots.
Even as two questions were taken up during the Question Hour, Opposition MPs were heard shouting slogans including ‘Modi sarkar shame shame’, ‘ Pradhan mantri jawab do (Prime Minister give an answer)’.
Congress members also persisted with their demand for the resignation of Home minister Amit Shah , with a few of them displaying posters in the well, forcing the Chair to adjourn the House until noon.
Also read | Rajya Sabha adjourned as debate on riots pushed to March 11
In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the house for the day soon after 11 a.m., as MPs of Congress, Trinamool, Left, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party were up on their feet to protest the Chair’s decision to hold the debate on Delhi riots after Holi.
When the Lok Sabha reconvened at noon, it was adjourned for a second time until 2 p.m. as the Opposition members remained unrelenting.
“Why should we wait until Holi when there is Holi being played with human blood,” asked Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. “We won’t stop agitating until the government agrees to our demand of an immediate discussion,” he added.
When the lower house met at 2 p.m., the government managed to get the tax disputes resolution bill — Direct Tax Vivad Se Vishwas Bill, 2020 — passed amid the din raised by protesting Opposition members and introduced another bill related to education.
The tax disputes resolution bill states that as many as 4.83 lakh tax disputes are pending in various appellate fora such as Commissioner (Appeals), Income Tax Appelate Tribunal, High Courts and Supreme Court and as much as ₹9.5 lakh crore is locked in these disputes.
Under the proposed scheme, a taxpayer would be required to pay only the amount of the disputed taxes and will get complete waiver of interest and penalty provided the amount is paid by March 31.
