DNA picked up few essential commodities and asked people how their lifestyles will change after July 1.
After the implementation of the new tax reform Goods and Services Tax (GST) confusion still looms over the change in the prices of several goods and services. Both traders and the consumers are still not sure how much more or less do they need to pay after the introduction of the GST. DNA picked up few essential commodities and asked people how their lifestyles will change after July 1.
School bags and Stationary items
For 35-year-old Shanta Devi, a domestic helper, getting her daughter enrolled in a private school was a dream come true. She had spent all her savings to buy a new school bag and stationery items for her daughter now studying in class three. "Yesterday, when I went to buy a new school bag for my daughter for the new session, I found that the price of the bags have increased steeply. It cost me Rs 700 to buy a bag for her, which I bought for Rs 500 until last year," she said.
According the shopkeepers dealing in stationery, the cost of items — including colour box, ink pens, pencils and sharpeners— have increased slightly after the implementation of GST.
Essential Items for the Specially-abled
Shikhar Sharma, a first-year student at Delhi University, was the first from his family who made it to a University. Sharma, who has a visual and hearing disability, said the increase in tax on the things essential for him to continue with his studies has become a nightmare for his parents.
"My father, who himself has a hearing disability and is a tailor by profession, fears that the hike in tax will hamper my studies as we will not be able to afford items," he said.
As per revised rates under the GST, 18 per cent tax has been imposed on Braille typewriters, 12 per cent on Braille paper, 5 per cent on carriages for the disabled, wheelchairs and assistive devices, and 12 per cent on hearing aids. Earlier, most of them were exempted from tax.
Sanitary Pads:
A resident of a slum-cluster near Patparganj, Reshma, the sole-earner, makes special effort to provide her daughters with a packet of sanitary pads every month so that they does not have to face the difficulties she had faced. But with GST putting toiletries, including sanitary napkins, in the 12 per cent slab, the mother of two daughters is nervous.
"This is not a luxury item. We are women and we go through this every month, not out of choice. Sanitary napkins should be made tax-free," she said.
Sugar:
The slight dip in sugar prices after the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) brought happiness to Shabana Begum, who lives in a slum cluster near Okhla.
"We have six members in our family. We sometimes have tea without sugar when we cannot buy sugar. Now, I have heard the prices have come down a little, I hope we will never have to have tasteless cups of tea," she said with a smile.
LED lights:
After the implementation of GST, prices of energy efficient LED lights have dropped considerably with a price of Rs 70 to be charged for a basic LED bulb across the country under the Government of India's Unnat Jeevan by Affordable LEDs and Appliances for All (UJALA) scheme making it affordable for even those belonging to the lower income group.
According to Ramanand Sharma, a trader in east Delhi's Mayur Vihar, earlier the prices used to wary from state to state and now the government has directed every trader not to charge even a penny more than Rs 70 for one 9W LED bulb under the UJALA scheme.
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