Bhubaneswar, May 19: The Assembly passed the Odisha Goods and Services Tax Bill on the concluding day of its special session today, empowering the state to collect GST.

The proposed legislation received the nod of the state legislature without any amendment. Eight amendments moved by the Opposition Congress were lost by voice vote.

The Congress members said they were not opposed to the legislation. The BJP members supported the Bill.

The bill seeking to amend the Odisha Value Added Tax Act was also passed simultaneously. The amended law will empower the state to levy taxes on only six items - foreign liquor, country liquour, natural gas, motor spirit (commonly known as petrol), high speed diesel, aviation turbine fuel and petroleum crude. All other lists of taxable goods under the Odisha Value Added Tax Act, 2004, were omitted.

Piloting the twin bills, finance minister Sashi Bhusan Behera said: "The proposed legislation will confer power upon the state government for levying goods and service tax on the supply of goods or services or both which takes place within the state.