Centre has not released Rs 27,000 crore IGST dues of states : Amit Mitra

Amit Mitra, principal chief advisor to the West Bengal chief minister Thursday charged that the Centre has not released Integrated dues to the tune of Rs 27,000 crore to states

Amit Mitra, principal chief advisor to the West Bengal chief minister Thursday charged that the Centre has not released Integrated Goods and Services Tax dues to the tune of Rs 27,000 crore to states, and claimed if this had been cleared, the money would have bolstered the country's economic growth.

Mitra, who was the former finance minister of the state, asserted that Bengal's growth story has nevertheless remained intact and claimed the state's GST growth in 2021-22 was 23 per cent.

Referring to an earlier statement by West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar that Centre has paid its GST dues and the state should now cut its taxes on fuel, Mitra said, "The BJP state president should know the facts. The Centre is depriving states of IGST dues of Rs 27000 crore.

He claimed the disbursement of the dues would have boosted the economy and demand in the country, which would have in turn repaired the supply chain that has collapsed due to wrong macroeconomic policies of the Centre," at a virtual press conference held here.

IGST is one of the three components of the Goods and Services Tax and is levied whenever there is an inter-state transfer and supply of goods or services.

"Where is federalism? The Centre must clear the state's financial dues," he said