New Delhi, Dec 22: BJP President Nitin Gadkari today said his party favoured the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) but feared that Union government may adopt a discriminatory approach in releasing the collected tax funds to state governments.
“In principle, we are in favour of GST but we have some reservations. The present Union government has a very vindictive attitude towards our state governments,” Gadkari said here today.
“If the money accruing through GST is accumulated then we have given suggestions regarding its division. If out of every two rupees, fifty paise is for the state then it should immediately be given to the state government,” he added.
The BJP President expressed apprehensions that his party's governments face problems if the Centre delayed releasing their share of tax funds.
“If we have to go to you (the Union government) then we will have to wait for years to get the funds distributed. Tomorrow if our powers to tax are taken away and we don't get for a year the money that accrues to us under GST, then how will we distribute employees wages,” he said.
The BJP President said his party had held internal discussions and also conveyed its views to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
“We have a committee under the chairmanship of Sushil Modi and I even discussed it with him and Yashwant Sinha also has been involved,” Gadkari further said.
“I have talked with Pranab Mukherjee and I have asked him to accommodate the few grievances that we have,” Gadkari who was responding to a question by a participant in an event held by the PHD Chamber of Commerce, said.
Gadkari also said the country did not need Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to create Godowns and storage facilities. He suggested that government give financial incentives to farmers to build their own godowns.
