Thawar Chand Gehlot seeks exemption on GST on goods for disabled

NEW DELHI: With the Goods and Services Tax Council bringing assistive devices and other exempt goods for the differently abled under the tax net from July 1, social justice and empowerment minister Thawar Chand Gehlot is batting for a last-minute exemption.

Inundated with representations from across the country, the social justice and empowerment ministry has sent missives to finance ministry and GST Council to look into the matter again.

“I have taken this up with finance minister Arun Jaitley,” Gehlot told ET. “All the representations have also been forwarded to GST Council to take a call. In fact, the rate of taxation on assistive devices has been brought down from the earlier proposed slab of 18% to 5% now. We hope that it will be exempted after the meeting of GST Council on Friday.”

Under GST, assistive devices used by people with disabilities have been brought under the tax net with slabs ranging between 5% and 18%. So far, these devices have been exempt from excise and customs duty.

After its May 18 meeting, GST Council approved GST of 18% on Braille typewriters and cars for physically disabled, 12% on Braille paper, Braille watches and hearing aids, 5% on carriages (motorised and non-motorised) for the differently abled, wheelchairs and assistive devices.

“We hope they would be exempted. We have received representations from all over India. But the final call is that of GST Council,” Gehlot said.

Disability rights activists and nongovernmental organisations have been writing to the government daily.

“It is shocking to know that the council has proposed to levy tax on assistive devices which are an absolute necessity for the differently abled,” said rights activist Pradeep Raj.

“This move comes under the watch of a government that claims to be a champion of rights for the differently bled.

We have initiated a new campaign on social media to increase awareness about the issue with the hashtag RollbackGST4PwDs.”