New Delhi: Sanitary pads will be exempt from the Goods and Services Tax, Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said on Saturday after a meeting of the GST Council.

Sanitary pads are taxed 12 per cent tax under the one-year old GST regime, which attracted serious criticism from various quarters.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 28th GST Council meeting, the minister also said that tax on bamboo also has been slashed to 12 per cent.

This would mean there would be no input tax credit available, even though inputs in the production of sanitary napkins are taxed.

It is expected that the council would decide on revision of tax rates on vending machines and lithium ion batteries among others.