Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented his third Budget on Monday offering sops for small and marginal income tax payers, hiking surcharge by 3 percent on earnings above Rs 1 crore, levying a pollution cess on petrol, diesel cars and SUVs and offering a one-time compliance window for domestic black money holders slapping a tax and penalty of 45 percent.
At the same time he proposed a 'Krishi Kalyan' cess of 0.5 per cent on all taxable services to improve agriculture and reduction of duties on project imports for cold room for cold chain, refrigerated containers and a number of other items.
Among other things, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi also found a mention in Jaitley's speech.
The FM said that he had accepted a suggestion from Rahul on tax exemption on Braille paper leading to smiles in Opposition benches.
The Congress Vice President had written to the Finance Minister asking for tax exemption on Braille paper.
NDTV quoted sources as saying that the Congress VP had written to the Commerce Ministry after a visually challenged student had approached him at Mount Carmel College in Bengaluru last year.
The import duty on Braille paper will be slashed.
It will be included in the list of 'assistive devices for differently-abled'.
