Delhi High Court on Wednesday slammed the government for failing to contain air pollution in Delhi and asked it to consider reducing goods and services tax (GST) on air purifiers.
A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela was hearing a PIL plea seeking the classification of air purifiers as “medical
devices” and a reduction in the GST from 18 per cent to 5 per cent.
“Every citizen requires fresh air,” the bench said. “Let the purifiers be provided. That’s the minimum you can do. When will you come back? Even if it is temporary, give an exemption for one week or one month.... Consider this an emergency situation only temporarily. Take instructions and come back,” the bench said.
The court directed the GST Council to meet at the earliest and consider lowering or abolishing the goods and services tax on air purifiers.
The government was directed to inform the court when the GST Council would meet and decide on the issue on the next date of hearing on Friday.
At a book launch here on Wednesday, road and transport minister Nitin Gadkari expressed concern about the worsening air quality in the capital.
“I stayed in Delhi for two days and got an infection,” he said.