Amit Mitra calls GST Council’s decision not to slash tax on vaccine ‘anti-people’

West Bengal Finance Minister Dr Amit Mitra called the decision not to reduce GST on Covid-19 vaccine “anti-people”. He also alleged that his voice was “muzzled” when he tried to object to the decision.

Terming the GST Council's decision not to reduce the tax on Covid-19 vaccines as "anti- people", West Bengal Finance Minister Dr Amit Mitra on Saturday alleged that his voice was "muzzled" when he tried to raise his objection. The GST Council on Saturday slashed tax rates on COVID-19 drugs such as Remdesivir and Tocilizumab as well as on medical oxygen and oxygen concentrators but ignored demands for a reduction in taxes on vaccines. "This is totally an anti-people decision that is being thrust on us by the GST Council. As representatives of the people, we have no way to justify decisions of draconian nature," Mitra wrote to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman after the meeting.