New Delhi: Ahead of the GST Council meeting on Friday (May 28), Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urged the Centre to remove GST on all life-saving medicines and equipment being used to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Congress leader said charging GST on COVID-19 related items from people suffering due to the pandemic is “cruel and insensitive”.
In a tweet in Hindi, Vadra said, “Demanding GST on COVID-19 related products from people who struggled for ambulances, beds, ventilators, oxygen, medicines, vaccines during the pandemic amounts to cruelty and insensitivity."
Sharing a list of medical equipment and their GST rate, she added, "Today, in the GST Council, the government should remove GST on all life-saving medicines and equipment being used in the fight against COVID.”
महामारी के समय एंबुलेंस, बेड, वेंटीलेटर, ऑक्सीजन, दवाइयों, वैक्सीन के लिए परेशान हुए लोगों से कोविड संबंधित उत्पादों पर GST वसूलना निर्दयता व असंवेदनशीलता है।
आज GST काउंसिल में सरकार को कोविड से लड़ाई में इस्तेमाल हो रही सभी जीवनरक्षक दवाइयों व उपकरणों पर से GST हटाना चाहिए। pic.twitter.com/nSN3lVZi8t
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) May 28, 2021
It is to be noted that this will be the first meeting in nearly eight months of the GST Council, which is headed by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and includes representatives of all states and Union territories.
The GST Council is likely to discuss a reduction in the tax rate on COVID-19 medicines, vaccines and medical equipment, in addition to means to make up for the shortfall in revenues promised to states.
On Thursday, Vadra, who is a vocal critic of the BJP-led Central government released a video and posed some questions to the Centre, including why India being one of the largest vaccine manufacturers is facing a scarcity of COVID-19 vaccines. Tweeting the video, Vadra wrote, “The Government of India owes the people of India answers.”
The Government of India owes the people of India answers.
देश की जनता के सवालों का जवाब देना सरकार की ड्यूटी है।
My video pic.twitter.com/jkhXgV0hN7
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) May 27, 2021
Meanwhile, India reported 1.86 lakh new cases of coronavirus infections across the country along with 3,660 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry data on Friday.
(With PTI inputs)
