GST Bill set to be ratified in monsoon session of AP Assembly

Vijayawada: The three-day monsoon session of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly will be held from Thursday with the two Houses set to ratify the Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, paving way for the introduction of Goods and Services Tax.

Besides GST, four other Bills will also be taken up during the brief session that will be held in Hyderabad as construction of the new Legislature complex at Velagapudi in the state's new capital region Amaravati is not yet complete.

The state Cabinet met here this afternoon under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and approved the draft Bills to be introduced in the Legislature.

Among the bills is one related to the amendment of the Value Added Tax Act, 2005, that will reduce VAT on three and five star hotels in important tourist destinations from the present 14.5 per cent to five percent.

The amendment will also pave way for reduction of VAT on mobile phones to five per cent, a senior minister said after the meeting.

A bill to amend the Registration Act, 1908 will also be introduced in the House to prevent double registration of properties.

This will curb malpractices in property registration and thereby avoid litigation, he said.

Another bill to replace an Ordinance that brings private agricultural colleges in the state under the Acharya N G Ranga Agriculture University and one other on private horticulture colleges will also be introduced during the monsoon session, the minister said.