CM pulls up Centre over hike in health care service tax

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed her concern over the hike in the price of essential services like health care due to the Centre’s decision in increasing service tax to 15 per cent.

Narrating her own experience she said that she used to pay Rs 17,000 per annum for mediclaim and now it has gone up to Rs 30,000. She urged everyone present at Town Hall during the press conference to check the sharp rise in the price to get health care service.

The reason being the cost has got escalated with the imposition of Krishi Kalyan cess of 0.5 per cent that raised the service tax to 15 per cent.

It may be recalled that on Wednesday she had expressed discontent over the Centre’s decision to impose the Krishi Kalyan cess as it had made one pay more to travel in AC coaches of trains, to have food in restaurants or watch movies in theatres.

Telephone bill has also gone up and services including air travel, DTH and healthcare have become dearer.

On Wednesday, the Chief Minister had also decided to write to the Centre urging not to link Aadhaar card with that of job cards under MGNREGA scheme as around 40 per cent of the rural populace are yet to get their Aadhaar cards.