Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 said that The Centre never wanted to increase taxes at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. “I have not tried to earn even a single paisa by increasing tax this year and even last year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given clear instructions that people should not be burdened with taxes at the time of the pandemic, notwithstanding the deficit,” said FM Nirmala Sitharaman.