Delhi HC asks Centre to respond on plea seeking GST cut on air purifiers amid worsening air quality

The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Centre to file a detailed response to a petition seeking lowering of goods and services tax on air purifiers in view of worsening air quality in the national capital.

A vacation bench of Justices Vikas Mahajan and Vinod Kumar granted 10 days' time to the central government to file its reply to the petition and listed the matter for further hearing on January 9.

The court was informed by the Centre's counsel that the meeting of GST Council has to take place physically only and it is not possible to convene the meeting through video conferencing. Additional Solicitor General N Venkataraman, representing the Centre, sought time to file a detailed reply.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the central government to classify air purifiers as "medical devices" and reduce the goods and services tax (GST) to the five per cent slab. Air purifiers are currently taxed at 18 per cent.

The petition by advocate Kapil Madan said that purifiers cannot be treated as luxury items in view of the "extreme emergency crisis" caused by severe air pollution in Delhi. On December 24, the court had directed the GST Council to meet at the earliest and consider lowering or abolishing GST on air purifiers.

The matter was listed today to inform the court as to when the Council can meet and whether it was possible for the Council to meet virtually, if not physically.