Rajya Sabha green light to excise policy to curb tobacco consumption
NEW DELHI: Parliament on Thursday passed the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, after the Rajya Sabha approved it and returned it to the Lok Sabha. The Bill amends the Central Excise Act, 1944, with the key objective of increasing excise duties and cess on multiple tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, hookah tobacco, chewing tobacco, zarda and scented tobacco. Replying to the discussion on the Bill, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman accused the West Bengal government of obstructing the states development despite receiving full assistance from the Centre. She insisted that the Centre had never neglected West Bengal. In fact, it is the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government that is hurting the growth of the people of West Bengal, she said while responding to points raised by TMC members. Referring to health coverage, she reminded the House that West Bengal withdrew from the Ayushman Bharat scheme in January 2019, adding, Is that good for the people of Bengal? Sitharaman said industries were steadily leaving West Bengal and listed several indicators of the Centres contributions. She noted that AIIMS Kalyani had been established and 11 medical colleges were approved under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme. She added that West Bengal received a record railway budget allocation of Rs 13,955 crore for 202526, more than three times the 200914 average outlay of Rs 4,380 crore. In addition, 101 Amrit Stations are being developed in the state at a cost of Rs 3,847.5 crore. The minister said that 1,650 km of railway lines had been electrified, bringing total electrification in Bengal to over 98%. She informed the House that more than 2,300 km of National Highways had been built since 2014. Responding to concerns raised by TMC MP Sagarika Ghose about the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF), Sitharaman said that transfers had not been halted.
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