Stalin to OPS: Why did you criticise Centre if it is allocating all funds Tamil Nadu has sought?

B Sivakumar | TNN | Apr 25, 2020, 16:11 IST

M K Stalin

CHENNAI: DMK president M K Stalin on Saturday asked why Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam had criticised the Centre in his budget speech if the Union government was allocating all funds the state had sought.
“If the Centre is providing all funds as sought by the Tamil Nadu government, why did the finance minister criticise the Centre for not allocating Rs 74,000 crore and only allocating Rs 30,000 crore as part the share for a state which has revenue deficit,” asked Stalin.
On Friday, Panneerselvam said a total of Rs 32,849 crore would be received by the state from the Centre as part of the tax devolution in the year 2020-21 and the Rs 1,928 crore it received recently was only the first instalment. There would be another 13 instalments through which the state would receive the total money, he said.
Panneerselvam was replying to the accusations of Stalin that Tamil Nadu had received only less amount as part of the tax devolution even though the state and other southern states contributed more towards tax collection in the country. Stalin alleged that the government had failed to take up the issue with the 15th Finance Commission.
Panneerselvam also said as Stalin can’t digest the increasing popularity of the AIADMK government, “he is releasing statements finding fault with it”.
Reacting to Panneerselvam’s statement, Stalin said, “instead of taking my suggestions, the deputy chief minister has accused me of not able to digest the popularity of AIADMK government.”
He pinpointed several issues raised by Panneerselvam in his budget speech in February to state that the deputy chief minister was trying to hide the main issues raised by him.
‘’The deputy chief minister repeatedly said that tax devolution had come down only due to the 14th Finance Commission recommendations. He also criticised the Centre for not releasing funds under IGST and others. This is what I had also mentioned in my statement, but Panneerselvam released a statement supporting the Centre and the chief minister,’’ said Stalin.
The DMK leader said Panneerselvam had repeatedly said the Centre's tax collection sees not less than 15% growth each year but criticised the Centre for not sharing the same with states. “Has this been solved,” asked Stalin.