CM Baghel urges Centre to increase Chhattisgarh's share in central taxes

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday urged the Centre to increase the state's share in the central taxes and duties, citing rising burden on its resources, an official said here.

Baghel raised the issue in the NITI Aayog's seventh Governing Council meeting being chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, he said.

The meeting is being held physically for the first time after July 2019.

The chief minister demanded an increase in the state's share in the central taxes, citing that the burden on the resources of the states has been rising, the official from the state public relations department said in a statement.

Speaking on the issue of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation, Baghel sought a five-year extension for the compensation paid to the state beyond June 2022, claiming that the state was facing a revenue shortfall due to the new tax mechanism, he said.

The chief minister also urged the Centre to revise the royalty rate for major minerals, including coal, the official said.

As per the statement, Baghel sought a refund of the money deposited by the state government towards the National Pension System (NPS) since November 2004 along with accruals in the interest of government employees.

The Centre was asked to reimburse to the state Rs 12,000 crore spent on the central security forces deployed for eradication of the Maoist menace in Chhattisgarh, it said.

Apart from this, Baghel requested the Centre to expand the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme in rural areas located near cities and in towns with a population of less than 20,000, it added.