Current Affairs - Miscellaneous - Discussion

The Union Ministry of Culture introduced a new scheme called 'SevaBhojYojna' to reimburse the central share of CGST and IGST on items for food/Prasad/langar/Bhandara offered free of cost by charitable religious institutions. The scheme launched for financial years 2018-19 and 2019-20 with a total outlay of Rs. 325.00 crores. The scheme seeks to reimburse the central government's share of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) and Integrated Goods and Service Tax (IGST) on purchase of raw items such as ghee, edible oil, atta, maida, rava, flour, rice pulses, sugar, and jaggery, which go into preparation of food/Prasad/langar/Bhandara offered free of cost by religious institutions. The main objective of the scheme is to lessen the financial burden of such charitable religious institutions, which provide free of cost without any discrimination to the general public and devotees.