August 7, 2024
Remove 18% GST on health and life insurance, publish White Paper on Bengal’s dues: Derek O’Brien in Parliament
Medal or no medal, we salute you! You are our hero, Vinesh Phogat. Thank you for what you have done today for India. Sir, now on the Bill. First point, roll back 18 per cent GST on insurance — health insurance and life insurance. Sir, this is not winning. We win, they lose – No! This was a provision introduced in 2017. So, this is our humble appeal to the Finance Minister, through you, Sir. No one saw this, maybe, from 2017 to 2024. In the last two weeks, it has been brought up in Parliament. The Chief Minister of Bengal has written a letter. Yesterday, there were 350 MPs from 20 parties — Congress, DMK, SP, everybody. We all are together on this, but it is not against ‘us’ versus ‘you’. No! Like in sport, you can win-win. Here is a great chance to win, Sir. Even if you don’t listen to us, Madam Finance Minister, I noticed in the morning that your senior Cabinet colleague — both of you are very senior — sitting next to you, chose not to tell you on the phone or WhatsApp, but he has written a letter to you; please come back to us and take away this 18 per cent GST on medical insurance. Secondly, this is again my humble appeal to the hon. Finance Minister, Dr. Mitra was my colleague there and I spent many hours with him and so, we all know about the GST Council. Everyone needs to know that in the GST Council, one-third of the weight is of the Union Government. NDA has 18 States in that Council. You have a comfortable majority to do what you want in the GST Council. So, don’t use the GST Council as a curtain. Sir, it is not an ego issue. On the 22nd or 23rd of August, you are having a meeting — I saw in the media — pull off this 18 per cent. This is not about ego. We will all win, and those suffering, who are paying the 18 per cent GST on life and health insurance, will win. So, that is the first point, on the rollback of the GST. Then, Sir, let me say something on federalism. Some of my friends here, they are not in the NDA, but they give you some nice support. Very good, we respect that. But some of us parties, we politically oppose you, and we defeat you in elections. With humility, we defeat you. So don’t deprive us. We’ve been asking for only one thing. Give us a white paper on Bengal from 2021. You lost the elections in 2021. We have been saying, present the white paper, present the white paper. What do we want to know? We are making a charge here today, Sir, which we have been making for the last four years. For MNREGA, you have not paid Bengal even one rupee. Authenticated! Now you’ll turn around and tell us that 99.96 per cent of all the paperwork has been done, 0.5 per cent have not complied. But you are holding up people who work. The first charge is that Rs. 7,000 crores to Rs. 8,000 crores on the Awas Yojana are owed to Bengal. I say this again, we have asked for a white paper. But, Sir, I have been wondering, maybe there is some communication problem from our part, because our understanding of a white paper is to present a concise and specific report. My colleague who spoke in Lok Sabha, Mr. Abhishek Banerjee, also mentioned this. However, maybe, just maybe, while our understanding of a white paper is a report, but is it possible that the Government’s understanding of a white paper to a State Government where they don’t have data is actually giving a white paper? Just a white paper! Finance Minister, come present that White Paper. Sir, my last point on this is — I appeal to this Government, Mr. Modi, the Finance Minister, to please understand this mandate. We have understood the mandate in our State. We have to come and work harder. Understand the mandate. The mandate says, show cooperation and humility. Take us all together so that we solve problems. Please understand the mandate with humility. Then it would not be a problem at all for you to roll back the 18 per cent on the medical and health insurance. Or, look at the price rise, acknowledge the price rise, whether it is onion, milk, tomato, and gas cylinders, and find solutions. Please. Thank you.
