Overview

• On June 19, BJP legislators walked out of the Assembly debate on the Sales Tax (Settlement of Disputes) Amendment Bill in protest over limited review time.
• Speaker Biman Banerjee struck Ashok Lahiri’s and Ambika Roy’s speeches from the official record for violating the rule that members must stay to hear the government’s response.
• With opposition members absent, the bill cleared the House by voice vote after Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya presented the government’s reply.
• BJP Chief Whip Sankar Ghosh said the pre-announced walkout was intended to highlight procedural concerns and truncated debate on the legislation.
• The amendment aims to streamline tax recovery by allowing settlements between the state and taxpayers without resorting to litigation.