Mamata calls accepting GST a blunder, alleges Bengal shortchanged Rs 20,000 crore

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee calls the state’s acceptance of GST a blunder, alleging the Union government diverted funds to BJP-ruled states. She also criticises SIR, illegal infiltration handling, and announces a cricket stadium in Siliguri in Richa Ghosh’s name

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday that accepting the Goods and Services Tax (GST) proposed by the Union government was a blunder on behalf of the Trinamool Congress-led state government.

“We accepted the GST to honour the federal structure of democracy in the country with a positive mind. But under the present circumstances it seems that accepting that was a blunder on our part,” the Chief Minister said, while addressing the media persons from Siliguri of Darjeeling district on the first day of her three-day visit to north Bengal to review the situation in the hills, Terai, and Dooars region there, which was devastated by the severe flood and landslides last month, killing several people.

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According to the Chief Minister, although the Union government was collecting the tax from West Bengal, it was not releasing the State’s share in this count.
“The Union government is diverting all the funds to the BJP-ruled states. I think that the Union government should not be reluctant to share the state’s share of tax. The Union government had already collected Rs 20,000 crore from West Bengal,” she said.

Speaking on the occasion, CM Banerjee also announced that the State government will set up a cricket stadium at Siliguri in the name of Richa Ghosh, the wicketkeeper-batter of the Indian cricket team who won the Women’s World Cup.

The Chief Minister once again launched a scathing attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Union government over the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in West Bengal.
“What was the hurry of conducting the SIR within such a short timespan? They would have done it over two years. West Bengal had already witnessed so many losses of lives because of suicides out of the SIR scare. It is an insult to the citizens of West Bengal that they would have to prove their identities again,” CM Banerjee said.

She also attacked the Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the illegal infiltration issue. The Border Security Force (BSF) is responsible for the security at the border. Checking illegal infiltration is the BSF’s responsibility. The BSF comes under the direct control of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. So the Union Home Minister should take responsibility for illegal infiltration,” the Chief Minister said.