New Delhi, March 25: The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Tuesday after passing the Finance Bill 2025 and extending the tenure of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on One Nation, One Election. The house will reconvene at 11 am on Wednesday.
In her address during the passage of the Finance Bill, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized the government’s efforts to align the legislation with the aspirations of the people and the vision of making India a developed nation by 2047. "This Finance Bill addresses the expectations of the people and aligns with the Prime Minister's goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047," she said. The bill, she explained, aims to provide tax certainty, rationalize provisions for ease of doing business, and offer unprecedented tax relief. Sitharaman also highlighted the government’s push for increasing tax compliance among those with foreign assets. In response to opposition members' concerns, including those related to GST, she defended the government's approach, while BJP members praised the country’s economic performance, noting that India’s GDP had more than doubled in the past decade.
In addition to the Finance Bill, the Lok Sabha passed the Boilers Bill, 2024, which focuses on enhancing the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) and aims to benefit boiler users, especially in the MSME sector. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal moved for its passage after it was previously approved in the Rajya Sabha. The Boilers Act of 1923 had been amended in 2007, introducing third-party inspections, but further review was deemed necessary to incorporate decriminalized provisions in line with the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023. The revised Bill includes updates such as removing obsolete provisions and adding new definitions. It also decriminalizes certain offences, replacing criminal penalties with fiscal penalties for minor violations. However, penalties for more serious offences, which may lead to loss of life or property, will remain criminal. The Bill also includes measures to ensure the safety of workers handling boilers and mandates that repairs be conducted by qualified personnel.
The Lok Sabha also approved a motion extending the tenure of the JPC on One Nation, One Election until the first day of the last week of the Monsoon Session in 2025. The motion, moved by JPC Chairman PP Chaudhary, aims to allow the committee more time to present its report on the "One Nation, One Election" Bills — the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
