Chandigarh, November 28, 2019 (Yes Punjab News)
PPPC President Mr. Sunil Jakhar has sharply criticized the Narinder Modi led BJP government for deliberate delay in releasing GST share of Rs 4,100 crore to Punjab. He said the Union Government should stop giving stepmotherly treatment and demanded immediate release of GST share to the state.
Mr. Jakhar said that the Modi government was acting contrary to the basic spirit and ethics of the country’s federal structure.
The BJP government had earlier implemented a flawed GST in haste. Apart from this, the states were no longer paid the amount as promised to compensate the losses incurred by them in the new GST system.
The state Congress chief said that due to the Central govt’s decision of demonetization, the imposition of faulty GST and wrong economic policies, there has been a recession in every sector across the country. “Due to this GST collections in the states had declined sharply. Punjab’s GST collection nosedived by 44 per cent.
It was not just the problem of Punjab; all the states were in distress. GST collection was reduced by 40 per cent in Himachal Pradesh and 24 per cent in Haryana too,” Mr. Jakhar added.
He said that it was a very unfortunate that the Central government withheld Rs 4,100 crore of Punjab GST. He termed the move of PM Narendra Modi govt. as ill-fated and demanded that the Center must release the amount without delay.
Mr. Jakhar said that Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh would raise the issue at the government level with the Prime Minister’s office; the Congress party would also raise voice against the Centre on all platforms to expose them.
He reminded that once during the government led by Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, Congress had to decide to hold a protest outside the Prime Minister’s house for similar issues at that time. The Central govt. should release GST share soon instead of forcing Congress to finalise such protest, he added.
Flaying the BJP-led Central government for “unbecoming” behaviour with the states governed by the opposition parties, he said it was even more reprehensible. He reiterated the demand to immediately release the GST dues and said that if the Central government doesn’t stop discrimination against Punjab, then the Congress party will be forced to go to Delhi to protest against the Modi government outside the Parliament.
