Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday demanded suitable sharing of various cess and surcharges on petrol, diesel and liquor, which were exclusively available to the Centre and exemption of Goods and Service Tax on purchase of vaccine for COVID-19.
In a letter addressed to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Mr. Patnaik said, “India is going through a tough phase in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a war-like situation and all our resources should be focused on winning this war against corona.”
“This is not going to be a one-time battle. We will have a sustained challenge in this fight against COVID till serious advances are made in treatment and vaccination,” he wrote.
