Kolkata, Aug 1 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday backed the demand to withdraw GST on life and health insurance premiums, saying it would adversely affect people’s ability to meet their basic needs.
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari proposed abolishing the 18 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) on life and health insurance premiums. Several opposition leaders supported this demand.
“Our demand to the Government of India is to roll back GST on life insurance and health insurance premiums based on people’s health requirements. This GST is bad as it adversely affects people’s ability to meet their basic needs,” Banerjee posted on X.
“If the Indian government does not roll back the anti-people GST, we will inevitably be on the right track,” she added.
In his letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman dated July 28, Gadkari wrote that levying GST on life insurance premiums amounts to levying tax on the uncertainties of life.
His demand was supported by Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Kumar Rai and RJD MP AD Singh, among others.
The GST Council, responsible for taking decisions on the tax, is expected to meet in August. The last meeting was held on June 22.