New Delhi: The "exorbitant" tax imposed by the government on daily essentials will destroy people's livelihood and increase hunger, malnutrition and poverty in the country, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. During special mentions in the Upper House, Singh said price rise has destabilised the life of the common man. "This is the first time after Independence that people will have to pay 5-18 per cent tax on flour, hospital room, ink, funeral and every essential item.
"The government is imposing tax on everything — pulses, curd, lassi, rice. People will have to even pay taxes for withdrawing money from their savings accounts. This exorbitant tax increase will destroy the livelihood of people," he said.
He claimed that 19 crore people are already forced to go to sleep hungry every night and every day, 4,500 children under the age of 5 are dying due to hunger and malnutrition.
Hunger alone is killing three lakh children every year. The real steps in the national interest would have been to provide relief to the poor from the price rise and higher tax should be imposed on the wealthy, Singh said.