Amphotericin B to be exempted from levy of I-GST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited Odisha and West Bengal to review the situation arising out of Cyclone Yaas. He undertook an aerial survey of the cyclone affected areas in Bhadrak and Baleswar districts of Odisha and Purba Medinipur in West Bengal.In Bhubaneswar, Modi chaired a meeting to review the relief and rehabilitation measures being undertaken.The Prime Minister was briefed that maximum damage due to Cyclone Yaas happened in Odisha, and some parts of West Bengal and Jharkhand have also been affected.The Prime Minister has announced a financial assistance of one thousand crore rupees for States affected by Cyclone Yass for immediate relief activities. Rs 500 crore would be immediately given to Odisha. Another Rs 500 crore has been announced for West Bengal and Jharkhand, which will be released on the basis of the damage. The Centre will deploy an Inter-Ministerial Team to visit the states to assess the extent of damage, based on which further assistance will be given. Modi assured the people of Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand that the Union Government would closely work with the State Governments at this difficult time, extend all possible assistance for restoration and rebuilding of the infrastructure in the affected areas.

-Union Government has accorded approval for substantial hike in salary of employees who are working under National Health Mission (NHM) in Jammu and Kashmir. The approval has been received for the Programme Implementation Plan for the Financial Year 2021-22 that was projected by the UT Government to boost the morale of the employees who have been working tirelessly in curbing COVID-19. As per the approval accorded by the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, in addition to annual increment budget of 5 per cent, for the first time additional increment of about 12 per cent has been approved as hike in salary for NHM employees through restructuring and rationalization.

-The Election Commission has decided not to hold bye-election to the one seat of Rajya Sabha from Kerala. The Commission on Friday reviewed the matter and has decided that due to outbreak of the second wave of COVID-19 in the country, it would not be appropriate to hold the said bye election till the pandemic situation significantly improves and conditions become conducive to hold the bye election.The Commission said, it will take a decision in the matter at an appropriate time in the future after taking inputs from the concerned state and assessing the pandemic situation from mandated authorities.The Rajya Sabha seat from Kerala fell vacant due to the resignation of KC(M) leader Jose K Mani from the Upper House.

-The GST Council has exempted import of Amphotericin B used for treating black fungus from levy of I-GST. Briefing the media after the meeting, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Council had a very detailed discussion on COVID related equipment in its meeting Friday. Several issues relating to it were raised and discussed.The Finance Minister said, the GST Council has decided to waive I-GST on free COVID-19 related supplies imported from abroad. So far, the IGST exemption was available only when the relief items were being imported free of cost. This exemption has been extended till 31st August.Finance Minister said Rs 4,500 crore were paid to two vaccine manufactures as advance payment. She added that the country is engaging with suppliers and manufacturers including from Japan, and European Union for vaccines. She said supply will increase in the coming months. Ms Sitharaman added that the GST Council will hold a special session to discuss extending paying compensation to states beyond 2022.

-India has been receiving international cooperation of COVID-19 relief medical supplies and equipment for over a month from different other countries and organisations. The Centre has informed that these supplies are being promptly delivered to the States and UTs. The Union Health Ministry has said that so far over 18 thousand Oxygen Concentrators; 19 thousand Oxygen Cylinders; 19 Oxygen Generation Plants; nearly 15 thousand ventilators & BiPAPs have been received in the country as foreign aid. It added that in terms of medical supplies the country has also received nearly 7.70 lakh vials of Remdesivir and over 12 lakh Favipiravir tablets. In the last 2 days, over 690 Ventilators & BiPAPs and 10 Oxygen concentrators have been received from Canada, Germany and Bahrain.