Modi govt waives tax, import duty on life-saving medicines for 5-month-old

Mumbai, Feb 10: Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi after taxes worth over Rs 6 crores on a life-saving drug was exempted by the Centre for a 5-month old girl from Mumbai.

 

 

Teera Kamat, a 5-month-old infant, is suffering from a rare genetic disease and needs gene replacement therapy. This tax exemption for Kamat was made by the government after Fadnavis had requested Prime Minister Modi to help the girl's parents as they were unable to afford taxes on the import of medicine, running in crores.

 

 

"Sincere gratitude to PM Narendra Modi ji for your humanitarian and extremely sensitive approach towards exempting all the taxes (approx Rs 6.5 crore) for importing the life-saving drug for Mumbai's 5-month-old Teera Kamat! I wish Teera a speedy recovery and healthy life," Fadnavis tweeted.

 

 

The girl's parents have already raised the requisite amount of Rs 16 crores towards the cost of the drug, said Fadnavis. "Now, as you (PM Modi) have waived all integrated custom duties (around Rs 6 crore), this will be a great relief for the parents and pave way for saving her life," he added.

 

 

Earlier, on Feruary 1, in a letter, Fadnavis had said, "You (PM Modi) are, humbly requested to kindly look into the matter and consider the parents request as a special case to exempt the import of the medicine from all taxes applicable on it."