Nirmala Sitharaman Introduces 2 Key Bills in Lok Sabha!

Nirmala Sitharaman Introduces 2 Key Bills in Lok Sabha! ‘Cess’ to be Imposed on Tobacco Products.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented two significant proposals to the Lok Sabha on Monday, the opening day of the Winter Session of Parliament. These proposals’ primary goal is to place a tax on tobacco products and their production.

Notably, the Finance Minister placed the “Central Excise Duty (Amendment) Bill, 2025” and the “Health Security and National Security Cess Bill, 2025” on the table as soon as the House session started. According to the administration, this will increase funding for public health and national security initiatives.

Cess on Machines, Security Funds to Be Raised
The Finance Minister clarified that these measures will impose a Cess (levy) on equipment and procedures used in the production of particular items. The goal is to raise more money to improve the nation’s healthcare and security systems.

Strong Opposition from the Opposition
Opposition MPs began demonstrating as soon as these bills were introduced. Both measures were opposed by Trinamool Congress (AITC) MP Sougata Roy, who said that the government only wanted to collect excise duty and that the bill made no mention of the risks associated with tobacco use.

He said he opposes any cess that will not be shared with the states and characterized the “Health Security and National Security Cess Bill” as ambiguous.

“It will burden the common man.”
The bill was also opposed by DMK MP DM Kathir Anand. He claimed that despite the bill’s apparent technical correctness, ordinary Indian residents will bear a significant financial burden as a result of it.

There are thirteen bills planned for this session.
Many of the thirteen pieces of legislation that the administration has proposed for this Winter Session have not yet been forwarded to the Standing Committee. Important laws like the “Jan Vishwas (Amendment) Bill,” “Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill,” “National Highways (Amendment) Bill,” “Atomic Energy Bill,” and “Higher Education Commission Bill” are among them. The Parliamentary session is set to conclude on December 19, 2025.