Himachal Pradesh on Saturday unanimously passed the state goods and services tax Bill during a two-day special assembly session, reported ANI. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said GST would simplify the indirect tax regime in the state and the country.

Singh also said that it was the previous United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre, led by the Congress, that had conceived the GST Bill. Leader of Opposition and former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said GST was “pro-consumer” and that keeping staple food items out of its ambit will help the common man.

On May 18, the GST Council approved all nine rules required to roll out the new tax regime from July 1. It also finalised the rate of taxation on 80%-90% of items, those that will be exempted from the GST and the 55 items that will invite cess. The GST Council had clubbed commodities under seven categories of taxes – zero per cent, 5%, 12%, 18%, 28%, a special category and a luxury items category.