Centre taking one-sided credit for GST revision while states bearing financial burden: CM Banerjee
In Kolkata on September 22, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee fired fresh criticism at the central government over the new GST rate cuts that started on Monday. She slammed leaders for grabbing all the credit for helping everyday people, even though states like hers are footing the massive bill.
Banerjee made her points while kicking off several community Durga Puja pandals, just like she did the past couple of days. Without naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly, she called out what she sees as unfair credit-grabbing. “One person is taking all the glory, as if it’s just his win,” she said at one event. “Our state government faces a whopping Rs 20,000 crore loss from these GST changes, and we won’t get a penny back. The real heroes here are the states.”
She also took pride in her early pushback on the GST system. Banerjee noted she was the first to demand scrapping taxes on essential items like life and medical insurance, while luxury goods like diamonds got lighter rates. Despite the hit to West Bengal’s budget, she added a positive spin: “I’m glad common people are getting some relief now. But the central government can’t claim all the wins.”
At another Puja pandal launch, Banerjee turned up the heat on the NDA government. She accused it of withholding West Bengal’s fair share of central funds from key schemes, including MGNREGA for rural jobs, PMAY for housing, and PMGSY for roads. “We’re already staring down an extra Rs 20,000 crore burden from the GST revision,” she said. “Now, they’re making it worse by blocking our rightful money from these projects.”
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