Supporting GST was a big mistake: Mamata

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee rued on Tuesday that the decision to support the passage of the GST was a big mistake her party had made.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee rued on Tuesday that the decision to support the passage of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was a big mistake her party had made.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. (PTI)

“After the GST came, the Centre has been taking away all the money. It was a big mistake to support it. We had thought that the states would be benefitted. But now they have frozen all the central funds,” she said.

The Centre distributes money to states based on the formula decided by the Finance Commission. The commission decided that the states will get 41% of all taxes collected by the Centre.

Banerjee was speaking at a programme organised to launch the government’s Pathashree-Rastashree project that aims to repair and construct more than 12,000km of rural roads in the next five months across 30,000 villages in 22 districts.

The crucial panchayat election in the state, which is being seen as a litmus test for all political parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha poll, is likely to be held in the next few months. A major chunk of the grievances received by the chief minister’s office and during the Trinamool Congress party’s outreach programmes are on poor village roads.

Banerjee has announced she would hold a sit-in demonstration near the statue of BR Ambedkar’s statute in Kolkata from March 29 noon to March 30 evening, demanding release of central funds for various welfare schemes.

“I will hold a sit-in demonstration from tomorrow. The Centre must release funds. They also need to answer why democracy is being stifled,” she said.

GST was launched on July 1, 2017. The TMC had supported the introduction of the new tax regime.

“The panchayat poll is approaching and the TMC, which has been alienated from the common people, has nothing to say. That’s why she is making such statements. She is one of the biggest beneficiaries of GST,” said Samik Bhattacharya, BJP spokesperson.