Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday requested the Central government  to waive GST and customs duty on a life-saving drug to be imported from the US for the treatment of a child suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a rare disease, in the state.

In a letter to Prime Minister, Vijayan detailed the plight of 18-month-old Muhammed, a native of Kannur district, who is undergoing treatment for the disease. It is in the light of this incident he made the request: - "I request you to give directions to the Union Finance Ministry to take steps not to levy Customs duty and Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) in this case involving import of the life-saving drug 'Zolgensma'," He wrote. Noting that the medicine for Spinal Muscular Atrophy is 'prohibitively expensive' and 'unaffordable' for the child's family, CM said it costs a whopping Rs 18 crore and is proposed to be imported from the US.

"It is learnt from media reports that the Union Government had waived off taxes in a similar case of a 5-month-old child who is suffering from SMA in Mumbai," CM Vijayan noted in his letter.

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