Kozhikode: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's claim that the Centre releases the required funds to the state government without delay was misleading.
Talking at Thiruvambadi in Mukkam as part of the government's outreach programme Nava Kerala Sadas, Pinarayi said it was the state government that paid the Rs 579.95 crore, which the Centre owed it, to the social security fund. "Nirmala Sitharaman's claim is false. The Centre cleared the state's arrears after it came under severe criticism for sitting on the amount for three-and-a-half years. The delay created a lot of financial difficulties for the state. The situation now is such that the state has to bear the financial burden if the Centre is not ready to grant the funds to which it is entitled. The Centre is approving funds only for certain kinds of projects. The finance minister is trying to hide the facts," he said.
Responding to Sitharaman's statement on the GST Compensation Cess, he said the state has submitted all accounts to the Accountant General (AG) correctly. "It is understood that the details of all the accounts have been forwarded by the AG."
Sitharaman had said for the GST Compensation Cess, the claim for any state has to be authorised by the AG. "The Kerala government has requested the Government of India not to release the GST Compensation Cess until the revenue numbers are reworked by it with the AG. If the state government doesn't get its numbers...
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