GST spares none

From Braille books to crutches

Hyderabad: Representatives of Disability Rights Organisations’ Forum voice their strong protest against the imposing GST on a range of aids and appliances used by persons with disabilities (PWD). GST Council levied rates from 5 per cent to 18 per cent on all the appliances and devices, which are currently exempt from all types of taxes -- sales tax/ VAT/ excise/customs, etc.

GST regime rings alarming bells for PWDs particularly in Telangana as only 5 per cent of them are employed in the state. Majority of PWDs in the state are uneducated. The GST regime will also put more financial burden on non-government organisations (NGOs) working for PWDs.

For instance, the average price of a Braille typewriter will go up from Rs 32,000 now to Rs 37,000 after GST. It’s estimated that over 80 per cent of persons with disability in Telangana can’t afford the aids and appliances.

“This proposal came as a jolt to the spirit and mandate of the rights of Persons with Disabilities Act- 2016, which obliges the state to provide all aforesaid assistive devices, equipments and Braille books to persons with disabilities either free of cost or at affordable cost,” said Disability Rights Organisations’ Forum.

Representatives of Disability Rights Organisations’ Forum are -- SK Rungta, National Federation of the Blind, Muralidharan, National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled, Dipendra Manocha, National Association of Blind Delhi & Saksham, Onkar Sharma, All India Federation of the Deaf, Rajiv Raturi Human Rights Law Network, Parag Namdeo, Sense International, Kapil Aggarwal, Federation of Disability Rights, Association of People Affected by Leprosy.

“The latest GST on the items, we use would lead to a manifold increase in costs of these items, which even now are out of reach of the common disabled persons in the country. The equipment and appliances are essential for ensuring right of equality to all persons with disabilities from all walks of life. Now, a Braille book costs five times of a print version of the same book. Imposition of 12 per cent GST on Braille paper will make Braille books costlier,” alleged the Forum.

Wheelchairs, which are essential for the disabled, will become costlier in the GST regime as it attracts 5 per cent tax. Similarly, Coochlear implants and hearing aids, which are essential for hearing impaired persons for ensuring their Right to Equality and access to facilities, will further be made out of reach of those persons by imposition of 12 per cent GST.

“We have represented against GST to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and sent the copies of our request to Prime Minister, Finance Minister of all States and UTs and Thaawar Chand Gehlot Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment as well. Gehlot has assured us that he would take it up with the Finance Minister Jaitley for easing tax burden,” said the Forum.

Disability Rights Organisations’ Forum has also approached the Finance Ministers of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Tripura, Odisha, Punjab, Haryana, UP, MP, Chhattisgarh and Delhi. The Kerala and Tripura Finance Ministers have already raised the issue with the Centre and have sought exemptions for the above items used by disabled persons. Others states also gave similar assurances.

Equipment	GST
Braille typewriters	18%
carriages	5%
Cars for physically-challenged	18%
Crutches, wheelchairs, tricycles	5%
Hearing aids	12%
Braille watches	12%