The Supreme Court on Monday (January 15) has said that it will hear a batch of petitions pending in the Supreme Court as well in Bombay High Court seeking removal of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on sanitary napkins on January 22.

Many petitions have been filed in the courts seeking removal of GST on sanitary napkins. While some have sought complete removal of GST, on the other hand some have challenged the levying of 12 percent GST on napkins.

Hearing one of the petitions, which had challenged the levying of 12 percent GST on sanitary napkins terming it illegal and unconstitutional, the Delhi High Court bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar had asked the Centre that if Sindoor, Kajal and Bindi could be exempted from the ambit of GST, why can’t sanitary napkins terming it an “essential” item.

The Centre’s counsel had replied to the bench that if they will relieve sanitary napkins from tax, the cost of the product will increase.

—India Legal Bureau