“According to statistics, the Center has given Rs 6,591 crore to Bengal for GST deficit in fiscal 2021-22, while the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka got more than eight and a half billion,” claimed Mitra. The Bengal BJP on Thursday demanded Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to cut the prices of fuel in the next 15 days, failing which they would launch massive protests across the state.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumder said, “The Centre has already cleared all pending GST dues to the Bengal government and the state government should now cut the prices of petrol at least by Rs 5 and diesel by Rs 10. Failing which we will launch massive protests in the state and march to state secretariat Nabanna to fight for people’s rights.” “The Centre reduced fuel prices twice, but the state government has not lowered taxes even once. We will wait for 15 days, and if the state fails to take any step, we will hit the streets,” said Majumder warning the state government of massive protests.
Ridiculing Majumder’s claim, former state finance minister and current financial advisor to the Chief Minister Amit Mitra said, “He (Sukanta Majumder) is basically a professor of plants (botanist) and does not know about GST. He has not studied GST and so his claims are ridiculous. Majumder should ask the Centre to clear all the dues on GST.”
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“According to statistics, the Center has given Rs 6,591 crore to Bengal for GST deficit in fiscal 2021-22, while the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka got more than eight and a half billion,” claimed Mitra.
TMC general secretary Kunal Ghosh said the state government would reduce the taxes on fuel, once the Centre clears all the dues. “The state government has already said that once the Centre clears its dues amounting to Rs 97,000 crores, it would reduce the taxes on fuel prices. Once they clear the dues, the state won’t levy taxes on oil for the next five years,” Ghosh said.
The Centre has cleared the entire GST compensation payable up to May 31 by releasing Rs 86,912 crore to the states, as per the Finance Ministry. — With PTI Inputs
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