NEW DELHI: A candlelight vigil was organized recently at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi by the Disability Rights Groups (DRG) against the Goods and Services Tax (GST) imposed on simple and many necessary aids and appliances used by the differently abled.
The list includes essentials like wheelchairs, Braille typewriters, Braille watches, crutches, hearing aids etc. The protestors demanded subsidies and concessions on these products from the government.
Various right groups like Action for Ability Development and Inclusion (AADI), National Association of the Deaf (NAD), Association of Disabled People affected by Leprosy, National Federation of the Blind came together to fight against the GST tax imposition on the appliances.
Goods and Services Tax (GST) is an indirect tax throughout the India under which goods and services will be taxed at the rates of 0%, 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%. It is introduced to replace taxes levied by state and central government.
Before 2006, there used to be very high tax rates over the disabled aids and appliances. But after fighting a very long battle in that era, Disability Rights Group (DRG) was able to bring the taxes down to zero percent (0%). For last one decade (2006-2016), there has been a Zero Tax regime. The government of India has not been taxing these necessary appliances meant for the use of people with disabilities. Now, with the annual of GST, we have come to know that lots of these items will be charged with high tax rates.
It is estimated that under the Good and Services Taxation (GST), wheelchairs, Braille typewriters, and hearing aids will become at least 5% more expensive. And if the confusion over Chapter 90:9 in the GST Bill is not resolved then some of the orthopedic appliances such as crutches and surgical belts will get 12% more expensive.
The groups at the vigil also maintained that while most disability aids are taxed at 5% under GST, rough precious and semi-precious stones are being taxed at a mere 0.25%. The same is the case with items like kites (patang), agar batties and cashew nuts.
Javed Abidi, director of the National Center for Promotion of Employment of Disabled People (NCPEDP) and the founder of Disability Rights Group (DRG), shared his views with The Citizen about GST on helping aids.He said, "with GST, we found out that lot of the disability helping appliances are under 5%, 12% of tax and some items are even under 18% of tax. Why would the government of India tax aids and appliances which are necessary for people with disabilities, when things like kajal, bindi, and other puja items are being taxed at 0%".
All the pleas, representation, letters, and emails sent to the Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Indian Prime Minister Narender Modi have elicited no response, whatsoever.
In an interview with The Citizen, Swarna Raj, a member of the Association of Disabled People said that she is contributing her part by participating in this vigil for herself and all other people with disabilities so the government would pay attention to their needs and exempt this unreasonably high rate of tax on disabled people's aids. The government should, instead, provide subsidies and concessions to help people like me.
After the candlelight vigil, the group started singing slogans like "roll back, GST!!" and "Hum sab ek he!" The demand is for the government to exempt the necessary items for those physically challenged from these high taxes.
India must invest in its disabled people- there are around 70 millions of them. If the disabled are able to step out of their homes; go to school and colleges; get jobs and can perform, they will obviously contribute to the nation's growth and its economic progress.
Good quality and affordable aids and appliances are an essential prerequisite for every disabled people and government should take care of their needs.
(All Photographs NIDHI MITTAL)