Pinarayi Vijayan requests PM Modi to waive tax on imported life-saving drug for child
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday urged the Centre to waive GST and customs duty on a life-saving drug to be imported from the US for the treatment of a child suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a rare disease, in the state.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he detailed the plight of 18-month-old Muhammed, a native of Kannur district, who is undergoing treatment for the disease.
Noting that the medicine for SMA is 'prohibitively expensive' and 'unaffordable' for the child's family, Vijayan said it costs a whopping Rs 18 crore and is proposed to be imported from the US.
The CM, in the letter, also pointed out that the central government had recently waived tax in a similar case of a five month old child, who is suffering from SMA in Mumbai.
"I request you to give directions to the Union Finance Ministry to take steps not to levy Customs duty and integrated Goods and Services Tax (GST) in this case involving the import of the life saving drug zolgensma," he said.
The Chief Minister's plea to the Centre came days after funds for purchasing the drug had been raised in Kerala through online crowdfunding for Muhammed.
Son of P K Rafeeq and Mariyumma, the child requires a dose of Zolgensma, which is considered as one of the most expensive drug in the world.
The treatment committee had on Monday informed the public that over Rs 18 crore reached the bank accounts opened for the donations and asked the people not to deposit any more.
The campaign was taken over by social media resulting in raising the amount within seven days from across the world.
Incidentally, 15-year-old Afra, the elder sister of Mohammed, was also affected with the same disease.
The medicine would have to be procured from abroad and the treatment committee had petitioned the state government to initiate the process for procurement.
Medical experts suggest that the child will have to be administered the dose of the medicine before he reaches the age of two, family sources said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Committed to realise dreams of people; Appointments on 48K posts soon: Hemant Soren on Republic Day
_vb_20.jpeg)
Dumka (PTI): Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said on Sunday that he was committed to realising the dreams of people who "scripted history" by voting to power the alliance he leads for a second term.
Unfurling the Tricolour at Dumka Police Line on Republic Day, Soren said his government fulfilled its promise and 56 lakh women in the age group of 18-50 were receiving assistance of Rs 2,500 per month under 'Maiyan Samman Yojna' while the process is on for recruitment on 48,000 posts soon.
"To wage war against injustice and atrocities has been our tradition. History is witness to how even before 1857 tribals here fought for Independence. Their struggle is our source of inspiration," he said.
Soren said his government was working in a planned manner to ensure that the tribals oppressed for centuries get their dues and the state could move forward on the path of development.
"The process of recruitment in the state has been expedited...The list for appointments on 48,000 posts has been sent to Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission...Advertisements have been released for 46,000 posts while appointments have been done on 5,000 posts. The process for appointment on 28,000 posts is in the last leg," Soren said.
To aid youth to attain self-reliance, loans to the tune of Rs 438 crore have been distributed among 7,625 youth under 'Mukhyamantri Rojgar Srijan Yojna' in 2024-25 while about 5 lakh youth were imparted skill training under 'Mukhyamantri Sarathi Yojna', he said, adding that over 2 lakh trained youth have got job offers.
Besides to arrest migration, Rs 2,430 crore have been distributed among youth under MNREGA and 2.66 lakh 'Sakhi Mandal' (women self help groups) have been provided bank credit linkages, he said.
Soren added that under the Palash brand - an initiative to empower women, 47 marts have been opened to provide a platform to sell products made by women and it has earned them national recognition.
"To accelerate industrial development, Jharkhand has notified Jharkhand Industrial Park and Logistic Policy and is striving to become a 'land-linked state' from 'land-locked state'", Soren asserted while stating that it has also been decided to provide 40 per cent subsidy to MSME units in the state.
Apart from promoting Tasar cultivation of which Jharkhand is a leading producer, the Jharkhand government is making all efforts to promote education and is operating '80 CM Schools of Excellence' for providing education on par with private institutions to rural students, he said and claimed that 4,041 panchayat level schools will be developed as model schools in the state in the next three years.
Besides under 'Guruji Student Credit Card Scheme', Rs 40 crore educational loans have been provided to 650 students who were not able to pursue academics after 12th standard due to financial hurdles.
Soren also listed various educational schemes for students including the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda scholarship to provide assistance to students of SC/ST and backward communities to pursue their higher education dreams abroad.
For the benefit of farmers, the government waived Rs 403 crore agriculture loans of 1.82 lakh farmers under 'Jharkhand Krishi Rin Mafi Yojna', he said and added under Millet Mission, the government was providing Rs 3,000 per acre to farmers up to 5 acres of land for cultivation of such crops.
For health, under Mukhyamantri Abua Swasthya Yojna, Rs 15 lakh is being provided per family for treatment besides various other initiatives.
Soren said to augment infrastructure, 89 highways and 9 bridges completed at an expenditure of Rs 2,796 crore were inaugurated in the state in the ongoing fiscal while drinking water connectivity was ensured to 34.17 lakh of 62.55 lakh rural families.
He claimed that 41 lakh electric consumers in the state were getting 200 units of electricity free per month.
Also, he claimed that the forest cover in the state has increased to 34 per cent of the total geographic area and a number of initiatives are on to promote tourism including eco-tourism in the state.
He said his government was committed to fulfil the dream of a prosperous Jharkhand.
