BHOPAL: A first-time woman legislator of the ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh has demanded a rollback of the 12 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) imposed on sanitary napkins.
Parul Sahu, BJP MLA from Surkhi seat of Sagar district has written a letter to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, seeking rollback of the 12 per cent GST imposed on sanitary napkins.
In the letter written to Arun Jaitley on Saturday, Parul Sahu has mentioned writing the letter after talking to many female social workers, working women as well as teenage girls.
The letter states, “The concern is why 12 per cent GST has been imposed on sanitary napkins. What I personally feel is that the government is taking an initiative to promote the use of sanitary napkins to ensure better health and hygiene among women across India. In our country, majority of rural women can’t afford regular use of sanitary napkins. The 12 per cent tax on sanitary napkins will worsen the scenario in rural and semi-urban areas.”
Parul Sahu (36) who holds an MBA degree from England told the New Indian Express that in a country like India where 88 per cent women cannot afford sanitary napkins, a 12 per cent GST on it is not at all justified.
“At a time when the government is making efforts to promote the use of sanitary napkins among women, the need of the hour is to render them at concessional rates. On the contrary, the 12 per cent GST is going to make them out of women’s reach, thus casting a shadow on their health and hygiene,” said Parul Sahu.
She added that, “I’ve written a letter to the Union Finance Minister, seeking rollback of 12 per cent GST on sanitary napkins. I hope he’ll review the decision and rollback the GST on sanitary napkins for the larger cause of women’s health and hygiene,” she said.
Parul Sahu was in the news in April for announcing not to contest the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls in 2018 owing to differences with BJP leaders of Sagar district unit.