President Pranab Mukherjee signs GST bill after 16 states ratify it

The bill was passed unanimously by the Rajya Sabha and the the Lok Sabha in August.

New Delhi:

President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday signed the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, paving the way for it to become law.

The President’s assent came after 16 of the country’s 29 states ratified the bill over the past few weeks.

With the President’s assent the constitutional amendment act will be notified.

The bill was passed unanimously by the Rajya Sabha and the the Lok Sabha in August. 15 states had ratified it before Thursday, and on Thursday Arunachal Pradesh became the 16th state to do so.

The bill had to be ratified by a majority of states before it could become law

Jayalalithaa-led Tamil Nadu was the only state which had opposed the bill.