Oppn slams govt for not withdrawing GST on health, life insurance premiums

Opposition members in Lok Sabha on Wednesday slammed the government for not taking up an amendment in the Finance Bill to withdraw the 18 per cent GST levy on medical and life insurance premiums.

Opposition MPs staged a walkout from Lok Sabha after an amendment moved by RSP member N K Premchandran seeking removal of 18 per cent GST on medical and life insurance premiums was not taken up by the House during the passage of the Finance Bill.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who piloted the Finance Bill, said any amendment in GST has to be approved by the GST council.

"Specific demand of the entire opposition is to withdraw the 18 per cent GST on life and health insurance schemes for which I had given an amendment. Normal procedure of the House is that the amendment is circulated only if it is admitted," Premchandran told reporters outside Parliament after the walked out by the opposition MPs.
 

 

"This was circulated yesterday itself. This gives a message that it has been accepted, or the recommendation from the President has been obtained. Normally if it is not accepted by the President it will not be circulated," he said.

Another point, he added, is the "government amendments were also submitted yesterday, as did I. All government amendments were accepted by the President, why is the private member amendment not being given attention from the President's office..." he said.

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said perhaps the government did not want the INDIA bloc to get credit for it.

On the withdrawal of indexation benefits on long-term capital gains, he said it was anti-middle class and "rolled back" under pressure from the INDIA bloc.

He said there was another demand for scrapping 18 per cent GST on medical and life insurance premiums.

"Our ally RSP leader N K Premachandran had moved an amendment but it was not taken up, and the government said there are technical issues which is baseless. Somewhere government does not want INDIA alliance to get the credit," he said.

The Finance Bill was passed by Lok Sabha with 45 official amendments by voice vote.