MP govt lifts VAT on eseentials

Bhopal, Jun 5 (UNI) The Madhya Pradesh government has either lifted or reduced VAT on several essential commodities by promulgating an amendment ordinance effective retrospectively from April 1, 2006.

Items exempted included sugarcane, handmade soap, handmade paper, handmade toothpowder, joss sticks, incense sticks, bed sheets, all seeds barring a few and equipment used by hearing and speech-impaired persons, an official release said here today.

Items on which VAT was reduced from 12.5 to 4 per cent included sweets, rope, copper cathodes, copper binding wire, enamelled copperware, wick/pressure stives, crowbars, paraffin wax and flavoured milk.

Canteen stores sales by defence services were exmpted from tax and kerosene sold under the public distribution system was kept out of VAT purview, the release added.

UNI AC MA HT2227