'Sanitary napkins to be exempt from GST'
New Delhi, July 21 : Sanitary napkins will be exempt from GST, Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said on Saturday after a meeting of the GST Council.
Sanitary napkins are taxed 12 per cent tax under the one-year old GST regime, which attracted serious criticism from various quarters.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 28th GST Council meeting, the minister also said that tax on bamboo also has been slashed to 12 per cent.
This would mean there would be no input tax credit available, even though inputs in the production of sanitary napkins are taxed.
It is expected that the council would decide on revision of tax rates on vending machines and lithium ion batteries among others.
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Fisherman killed in crocodile attack in Odisha's Kendrapara
Kendrapara (Odisha) (PTI): A 48-year-old fisherman was killed in an attack by a saltwater crocodile in a village on the fringes of Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha's Kendrapara district, a forest officer said on Wednesday.
The forest and fire brigade personnel later retrieved the maimed body from a river.
The incident took place at Baulakani village in Mahakalapada forest range when the fisherman, Deba Kumar Mandal, was dragged into the water by a crocodile while he was casting a fishing net on Tuesday afternoon. His body was retrieved on Wednesday, the officer said.
Though the incident occurred outside the national park limits, the deceased fisherman's family would be covered under an ex gratia compensation payment scheme after post-mortem examination, Varadaraj Gaonkar, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division, said.
As per the revised ex gratia compensation for human fatalities arising out of conflict with wild animals, the forest department will provide a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the bereaved family, he said.
Human-crocodile conflict in areas close to the national park has resulted in the loss of four human lives in the last 12 months.
The national park is home to 1,858 saltwater crocodiles in its water bodies and river system. No crocodile death has been reported in the last one year, the DFO said.
