Gujarat Assembly passes four bills

Gandhinagar: Gujarat Assembly today passed Sahkari Mandli amendment bill proposing to exclude district collectors from the burden of election process of sugar factories. The Assembly also passed Vidhyut Shulk amendment bill proposing 5 paise/unit hike in electricity duty for industrial units that generate captive power through conventional sources. Last duty hike was declared five years ago. Per unit duty will be 60 paise, up from 55 paise earlier. The Assembly also passed a bill proposing hike in stamp duty on fix duty items. Duty will go up from Rs. 20 to Rs. 50 for Affidavits and notary documents, from Rs. 100 to Rs. 200 for adoption, marriage registration,partnership documents and from Rs. 100 to 200 and 300 in several other cases.

Four bills passed

The Gujarat Appropriation Bill,

The Gujarat Stamp (Amendment) Bill,

The Gujarat Electricity Duty (Amendment) Bill and

The Gujarat Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill.

Congress disapproved the bills

All these Bills were passed with majority vote as Congress members did not give approval for their passage. Congress members even walked out during debate on The Gujarat Co- operative Societies (Amendment) Bill.

The Bill, passed in the absence of Congress MLAs, makes some minor changes in the manner in which the elections to co-operative sugar factories are held.

Highlights of the bills

The Appropriation Bill gives power to the government to withdraw funds for meeting expenditure during the financial year.

The Gujarat Stamp (Amendment) Bill propose a hike in stamp duty charges for various instruments.

For stamp duty related to adoption deed, marriage registration, partnership and release of ancestral property in favour of legal heirs, the present rate of Rs 100 is proposed to be increased to Rs 200.

Under the ‘The Gujarat Electricity Duty (Amendment) Bill’, industrial units are required to pay Rs 60 paise per unit as duty, a hike of 5 paise per unit.