Bengaluru: The state Cabinet has decided to introduce the GST Amendment Bill, 2019 in line with the Union government’s requirements during the assembly session scheduled to begin on October 10. Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting on Thursday, law and parliamentary affairs minister, J.C. Madhuswamy explained that the Centre first amended section 23 of the CGST Act, making it mandatory for everyone with a turnover of over Rs 20 lakh to obtain GST registration. But it later increased this limit to Rs 40 lakh and the state governments were now required to endorse this, he added.
The Cabinet also decided to exempt government procurement of upto Rs 5 lakh from the Transparency Act. Earlier, only construction and maintenance work of upto Rs 5 lakh and procurement of upto Rs 1 lakh were exempted.
In other decisions, the cabinet approved release of Rs 100 crore for construction of 118 kms of elephant- proof fences using discarded rail tracks along some wildlife sanctuaries and parks and in areas that are prone to attacks by straying elephants. This is part of a bigger plan to build such fences over 515 kms in three years in these protected areas.
During the current year, fencing will be done in Nagarahole and Bandipur national parks, in Madikeri, Virajpet, M M Hills , the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, Ramanagar, Bannerghatta and Hassan. The Cabinet also decided to release 20 prisoners, including a woman, for good behaviour, on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
