NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, DECEMBER 8
Leader of the Main Opposition and DMK president M.K. Stalin has demanded the twin leaders – the Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and his deputy O.Panneerselvam to demand immediate release of Rs 5,909 crore, the outstanding GST share of TN pending with the central government.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, Stalin accused the AIADMK leaders were not bothered to raise this issue with the Centre as they know this is the last time they will be in power. “So, they are thinking that let’s not get our posts which we got as a loan from the Central government into trouble,”
Representative photoThe DMK president said the BJP government at the Centre had promised and assured that if there were any losses due to the implementation of the GST regime, States’ losses for five years would be compensated.
Stalin said when the Bill came up in the Assembly, he had cautioned the government to ask the Centre to send the GST scheme to a review committee as it would affect and take away the rights of the State.
“The AIADMK government is not bothered about the loss of Rs. 9,270 crore Tamil Nadu is incurring due to the GST regime.
“While presenting the budget for the year 2019-20 budget, the government said around Rs 5,909 crore of GST refunds is still pending,” he said. “What happened to these refunds? Have they been received? What is the total loss to the State due to the implementation of GST? How much has been received from the Centre? Why is the AIADMK government not coming clean on all these questions?,” Stalin asked.
While the Finance Ministers of Delhi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, West Bengal, Kerala and Puducherry have met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to seek the release of their share of GST and compensation from August, the Tamil Nadu government has not even bothered to represent its case, he asked.
Keeping all these in view, Stalin urging the state government should take immediate steps and also consider filing a case against the Central government to ensure the State gets its share of the GST.
