Kolkata, 18 December (H.S.) :

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Centre over the Goods and Services Tax, alleging that the central government has taken nearly ₹20,000 crore from the state under the GST framework.

Addressing a one-day industry conference at Dhanadhanya Auditorium in Kolkata, the Chief Minister said that after the introduction of GST, states have been left with no independent taxation powers. “There is now only one tax in the country, GST. We were told that it would benefit the states, but the reality is completely different,” she said.

Referring to former state Finance Minister and current Chief Advisor Amit Mitra, who was present on the stage, Mamata Banerjee said he had earlier described the uniform tax system as beneficial for the state. “Now he must explain why the state’s legitimate share is being deducted and why ₹20,000 crore is still unpaid,” she remarked.

Responding to the Chief Minister, Amit Mitra said that the Centre has admitted in Parliament that there have been discrepancies of around ₹2 lakh crore in the GST system. Mamata Banerjee countered this by saying that no one knows whether the loss is limited to ₹2 lakh crore or is even higher. She questioned whether GST has actually benefited states or pushed them into losses.

The Chief Minister recalled that she had earlier publicly admitted supporting GST was a political mistake. She said the Trinamool Congress government had approved GST in the spirit of cooperative federalism, but over time it became clear that states were suffering continuous financial losses.

Explaining the GST structure, Mamata Banerjee said that revenue from SGST on intra-state trade and IGST from inter-state trade first goes to the Centre. “The Centre is supposed to return the states’ share later, but our money is being withheld again and again,” she alleged. According to her, GST has turned into a tool for collecting money from states without releasing their rightful dues on time.

From the industry conference platform, the Chief Minister reiterated that the Centre’s policies are financially hurting West Bengal and that the state is being subjected to consistent discrimination.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh