Mumbai: The state is to ask the Centre to exempt pay-and-use toilets on railway stations from GST, said BJP city president Ashish Shelar. Mr Shelar was visiting Bandra station along with passenger amenity committee member Irfan Ahmed on Thursday, and said that toilets are a basic amenity and should not be charged the 18 per cent GST.
Officials said that if GST is taken, then the contractors who have been given the tender of the toilets would take it from the commuters at a later stage, once the picture is clearer. An official said, “But if someone approaches the railway board or the centre asking for exemption the contractors will not have to take this money from the commuter.”
The issue came about when Mr Shelar and Ahmed were inspecting the under construction toilet at Bandra station and realised that Mumbaikars will have to pay to use the toilet as it comes under the railways pay-and-use toilets. Mr Shelar said, “Firstly we will be approaching the railway minister Suresh Prabhu as well as the centre to exempt the pay-and-use from GST. The free urinals will not be applicable for GST but we feel that every station should have a toilet block where the urinal is free as it falls under the basic necessity.”
