‘Make masks, sanitisers, oximeters tax free’: Sisodia appeals to Centre after GST Council meeting

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the suggestions made by him in the GST Council meeting on Saturday have been turned down.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia Saturday appealed to the Centre to make necessities like masks, sanitisers, thermometer, oximeter and other equipment tax-free.

He said the suggestions made by him in the GST Council meeting on Saturday have been turned down.

“Today, at the GST Council meeting, I presented some important recommendations before the council. It is necessary for us to keep Covid-19 medical equipment like vaccines, masks, sanitisers, thermometer, oximeter and others. Expenses related to masks, sanitisers, thermometers have now been added into the monthly budget of people. People are waiting to see whether the bill for a sanitiser or mask will remain Rs.500 or will it go up to Rs 550 with tax… I appeal to the Central government to have an open heart, to think about the suffering of people and make this equipment tax-free. It is the need of the hour and will help many people reduce their monthly budget,” he said.

Sisodia said the suggestions had been made considering the extra cost people are having to bear keeping in mind Covid-appropriate protocols. “The janata now has to create a margin from their daily expenditure to spend on these medical apparatus,” he said. He pointed out that people of the nation want their governments to not make money out of this but to actually aid them and support them by making these equipment tax-free.

“Many BJP leaders are against the suggestion of making Covid-19 medical equipment tax-free. The BJP-led Central government showed their discontent against state governments who recommended this and wanted masks, sanitisers, thermometers etc to be tax-free. GST council did not listen to any of us and has not accepted these suggestions,” he added.

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