Budget 2018-19

  The council meet is expected to deliberate the exemption and concession on   Covid-19   related items The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council is likely to consider the taxation of Covid-19 relief essentials in its next meeting scheduled for June 12. The meeting is expected to deliberate the exemption and concession on Covid-related items, following the recommendation submitted by the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Tuesday. The GoM recommendation is yet to be made public, but it is learnt that the issue of taxing the vaccine has been sent back to the Council. However, it suggested temporarily reducing the  GST rate  to 5 per cent on commercial imports and domestic supply of Coronavirus (Covid-19) medicines and material, including medical oxygen, oxygen concentrators, pulse oximeters and testing kits. The GoM headed by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has not made any concrete recommendations on vaccine rates, but the demand of some states to lower it may be...

After the Northeast Assembly election results 2018, BJP is set to form its maiden government in Tripura, and will be part of coalitions forming state governments in Nagaland and Meghalaya National Peoples Party (NPP) President Conrad Sangma is set to be administered the oath of office and secrecy as the new chief minister of Meghalaya, at a ceremony at 10.30 am on Tuesday. Meanwhile, even as the NPP and alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were preparing for the swearing-in cerremony, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked the BJP, saying the latter had "usurped power in Meghalaya through a proxy". Following favourable Northeast Assembly election results 2018, while the BJP is set to form its maiden government in Tripura, it will also be part of the coalitions forming governments in Nagaland and Meghalaya. The BJP, for its part, has accused the Congress of practising "politics of fear, confusion, and concoction". Top BJP le...