Cars, cigarettes to become dearer, pension plans cheaper

New Delhi, Feb 29 (IANS) Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday in his budget proposal made a few products and services cheaper while others have become more expensive for the common people.

Things which will become dearer:

** Various tobacco products other than beedi by about 10 to 15 percent

** Luxury cars above Rs.10 lakh

** Jewellery articles, excluding silver jewellery, other than studded with diamonds and some other precious stones

** Imported imitation jewellery

** Gold bars (countervailing and excise duties increased to 8.75 and 9.5 percent respectively from 8 and 9 percent respectively)

** Branded readymade garments and made up textile articles with a retail sale price of Rs.1,000 and above

** Bill payments and eating out (due to additional levy of Krishi Kalyan cess on all services)

** Air travel

** Ropeway, cable car rides

** Lottery tickets

** Legal services

** Electronic reading devices

** Goods and services above Rs.2 lakh in cash

Things which will become cheaper:

** Service Tax on service of life insurance business provided by way of annuity under the National Pension System

** Service Tax on low cost houses up to a carpet area of 60 square metres in a housing project of a government scheme

** Braille paper

** Solar lamps

** Router, broadband modems

** Digital video recorders

** Set top boxes, CCTV cameras

** Microwave ovens

** Sanitary pads

** Footwear