FM Nirmala Sitharaman to table Health Security & National Security Cess Bill in Lok Sabha today
Guwahati: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to introduce the Health Security and National Security Cess Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
The legislation seeks to boost funding for public health and national security initiatives by imposing a cess on machines and other processes used in the manufacture or production of specific goods. The Bill also covers provisions linked to these measures, as listed in the day’s parliamentary business.
The Lower House will also witness MPs Jugal Kishore and Sanjay Jaiswal presenting the Seventh Report of the Committee on Estimates (2025–26). The report reviews the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) and the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, both overseen by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
Several standing committees will table their reports on the fourth day of the Winter Session.
Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and Ashok Kumar Rawat will lay reports related to Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, while Basavraj Bommai and GM Harish Balayogi will present findings concerning Labour, Textiles and Skill Development.
In the Rajya Sabha, members Brij Lal and Harsh Vardhan Shringla will place reports from the Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Lok Sabha passed a Bill that seeks to raise excise duty on tobacco products and their manufacturing after a detailed discussion. The Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 proposes modifications to excise duty on tobacco and related goods following the expiry of the GST compensation cess.
Responding to concerns during the debate, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman clarified that the legislation does not introduce any new tax.
She stressed that the government is imposing excise duty, not a cess, and clarified this to address confusion raised by several MPs.
“This is not a new law, not an additional tax, and not something the Centre is taking away,” she said, emphasising that excise duty has been in place since before GST.
She further explained that the government will add the revenue collected through the revised excise duty to the divisible pool and share it with the States at the current 41 per cent rate.
According to Sitharaman, the compensation cess that earlier applied to certain goods will simply revert to the Centre in the form of excise duty, ensuring that States continue to receive their due share from the divisible pool.