Kochi: Following a show-cause notice issued to Periyar and Parambikulam tiger reserves, the Kerala forest and wildlife department has requested the state govt and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to ask the departments concerned to get the two reserves exempted from paying Rs 8.16cr as GST considering the services they provide including for the betterment of local and forest-dependent communities.The GST intelligence director general, Kochi unit, had issued the notice to the Periyar Tiger Conservation Foundation and Parambikulam Tiger Reserve asking to remit the sum for the services provided by the reserves. The department has requested the govt to take up the matter with those concerned.The GST wing had issued the notices in Dec last year demanding to pay Rs 5.16cr for the services provided by the Periyar foundation from July 2017 to Jan 2023. The foundation is registered under section 12AA of the Income Tax Act 1961 and thus exempted from paying income tax. The department said levying tax will adversely affect the protection of the reserve and the livelihood of forest-dependent communities, especially tribes. It also said the revenue generated from the foundation is used mostly for environment protection and hence the nature of service is environmental and not commercial.Parambikulam reserve was asked to pay Rs 3cr.It is learned that forest minister A K Saseendran raised the issue with the central govt officials including those from the ministry of environment and forests during a meeting recently.