NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Wednesday questioned the Centre over the imposition of 18% GST on air purifiers, saying providing clean air to citizens was “the minimum you can do” amid worsening pollution levels in the capital.Hearing a plea seeking to declare air purifiers as “medical devices” and exempt them from GST, the court said air purifiers could not be treated as luxury items in a city battling extreme air pollution.At the outset, the bench voiced its displeasure over the lack of action in the matter, observing that every citizen is entitled to clean air, PTI reported.
“Let the purifiers be provided. That’s the minimum you can do. When will you come back?….
Even if it is for temporary, give exemption for next one week or one month… Consider this an emergency situation, only for temporarily. Take instructions and come back,” the bench said.“We will place it before the vacation bench only for compliance. As we speak, we all breathe. You know how many times we breathe in a day, at least 21,000 times a day. Just calculate the harm you are doing to your lungs just by breathing 21,000 times a day, and that’s involuntary,” the bench added.
When the hearing later resumed the Centre told the court that the decision on GST rates is taken by the GST council, comprised of all states and Union, LiveLaw reported.The plea said that levying GST at the highest slab on air purifiers, now essential for ensuring minimally safe indoor air, makes them unaffordable for large sections of the population.“Imposition of GST at the highest slab upon air-purifiers, a device that has become indispensable for securing minimally safe indoor air, renders such equipment financially inaccessible to large segments of the population and thereby inflicts an arbitrary, unreasonable, and constitutionally impermissible burden,” the plea said. The hearing comes as Delhi continues to choke under toxic smog. Parts of the city, including ITO and India Gate, recorded ‘very poor’ air quality, with AQI levels crossing 350, according to CPCB data. GRAP Stage-IV measures have been enforced across Delhi-NCR.