Parliament Winter Session: Sitharaman to move Central Excise (Amendment) Bill amid Opposition uproar on SIR on Day 2

The Opposition had demanded a debate on the special intensive revision of electoral rolls

After a stormy session on the first day of Parliament winter session, the Centre is expected to push forward key legislation while the Opposition is likely to continue pressing for discussions on several issues, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will move the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to amend the Central Excise Act, 1944. The bill is expected to be taken up for passage in the Lok Sabha.

Following the introduction of GST in 2017, the Centre had decreased central excise duties on tobacco and tobacco products to allow for the levy of compensation cess in GST without large impact on tax incidence. This bill seeks to amend the central excise rates, as the cess will be discontinued once loan liabilities and interest payments taken under the cess are discharged, according to the government.

On Monday, Sitharaman had tabled the bill in the Lok Sabha amid continued Opposition sloganeering demanding a discussion on the SIR.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Manickam Tagore already announced that the party will stage a protest at Parliament’s Makar Dwar over the SIR issue at 10.30 am. All MPs are expected to participate in the demonstration.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha, warning that vulnerabilities in electoral rolls pose a “grave national concern.” He said outdated, non-digital voter lists risk duplication, errors, and manipulation, and called for a fully modernised, centrally monitored system to protect the integrity of elections.

Both Houses of Parliament will begin proceedings at 11 am. The Opposition had demanded a debate on the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, prompting the government to indicate in the evening that it was open to discussing electoral reforms.