Punjab, Kerala slam Centre on GST 'breach'

August 31, 2020 15:01

Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal writes to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over GST compensation and the options given to states after the 41st GST Council Meeting. "We take both options with great regret as a clear breach of the solemn and constitutional assurance by the Centre. We believe this as betrayal of the spirit of cooperative federalism that formed the backbone of GST-journey so far," he writes in the letter.

The Centre, last week, presented two options to states under which they can borrow from the market to make up for the estimated deficit of Rs 2.35 lakh crore this fiscal. At the end of a five-hour long meeting of the GST Council last week, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said there was no proposal to raise tax rates to make up for the shortfall that has been compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kerala finance minister Thomas Isaac tweeted, "Now that we fully understand Centre's intentions on GST Compensation we have no choice other than to reject them lock, stock and barrel. No state with Atmanirbhar can accept them. Enough is enough. No more surrender of states rights. GST Compensation is our constitutional right."

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