Bengaluru
Minister Krishna Byregowda expressed concerns over Karnataka’s treatment by the central government, particularly regarding GST tax distribution. He highlighted discrepancies in the recommendations made by the Finance Commission. While the final report for 2020-21 suggested a special grant of Rs. 5495 crore, the report for 2021-26 proposed a grant of Rs. 6,000 crore, totaling Rs. 11,495 crore. However, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Finance Commission did not endorse these recommendations, which Byregowda criticized as unjust.
Byregowda, serving as the State Revenue Minister and GST Board Member, disclosed plans for an open discussion at Gandhi Bhavan, Bangalore, where both himself and Finance Minister Sitharaman have been invited to participate. Byregowda confirmed his willingness to join the discussion and urged Sitharaman, a Rajya Sabha representative from Karnataka, to also participate and clarify the confusion surrounding GST tax distribution.
The invitation for an open discussion comes amidst growing discontent regarding the distribution of funds from the center to Karnataka. Byregowda’s call for transparency and dialogue aims to address the concerns of the state’s residents regarding equitable distribution of resources. The discrepancy between the Finance Commission’s recommendations and the actual allocations has raised questions about fairness and accountability within the central government’s fiscal policies.
