Cong MP Gowaal Padavi urges Centre to reconsider 18% GST on mental health services

New Delhi, Aug 2 (PTI) Congress MP Gowaal Kagada Padavi on Friday urged the Centre to reconsider 18 per cent GST on mental health services while flagging unspent amount of over Rs 8,600 crores in the health sector during the last financial year.

Participating in a debate on demands for grants for the Health Ministry in the Lok Sabha, the Lok Sabha MP from Nandurbar in Maharashtra alleged the unspent amount shows there is inability in fund allocation and utilisation.

"Mental health issues are very important issues and there is 18 per cent GST on mental health services. I would request the government to reconsider this and remove the GST from this head," Padavi said.

He informed the House that in the 2023-24 financial year, out of the health budget of Rs 89,155 crore, an amount of Rs 80,517 crore was spent.

"This means that the unspent amount was around Rs 8,600 crore, which shows there is an inability in fund allocation and utilisation. The issue needs to be resolved at the earliest.

"The budget for Health and Family Welfare this year is down by 3 per cent. The decline is in keeping with the consistent cuts made by the government in health spending despite claims made during the COVID-19 pandemic that shook the system," the Congress MP added.

Samajwadi Party's Ruchi Veera raised the demand for extending coverage under the Aayushman Bharat scheme up to Rs 10 lakh.

"The Ayushmaan Bharat scheme should have a coverage of at least Rs 10 lakh. I demand this be increased and infertility treatments should be covered under the scheme," the MP from Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad said. PTI GJS GJS NSD NSD