Centre has given a lot to TN, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman

CHENNAI: From 2014 to March 31, 2023, while the Union Government has received Rs 6,23,713.3 crore as direct tax revenue from Tamil Nadu, the Centre has given Rs 6,96,666 crore to the State, said Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Delivering a keynote address at the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, held at the West Mambalam here, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "As some people say, the Union government does not act with a hostile attitude towards Tamil Nadu. The tax money of Tamil Nadu is fully given to the State. Apart from this, the Central government additionally, providing the funds for the infrastructure development of Tamil Nadu."

Elaborating on the fund sharing, Nirmala said, "On the recommendations of the Finance Commission, from 2014 till now, Rs 2,88,627 crore as tax devolution, Rs 2,58,338 crore as grants and Rs 6,412 crore as capital expenditure, totalling Rs 6,96,666 crore has been given to Tamil Nadu. From 2014 to March 31, 2023, direct tax revenue from Tamil Nadu has been Rs 6,23,713.3 crore. This is the tax paid not only by the people of Tamil Nadu but also by the Hindi-speaking people living in Tamil Nadu. Besides, It was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who released Rs 3,225 crore to Tamil Nadu as a settlement charge, which had not been released since 1996-1997."

Discursively slamming the ruling DMK government, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "They say that the Union government keeps the cess tax and surcharge collected from Tamil Nadu. But, that is not the truth. From 2014 to till now, Rs 57,557 crore has been collected as cess from Tamil Nadu. Of this, Rs 37,965 crore for road development, Rs 17,116 crore for school buildings and other infrastructure development, and Rs 3,637 crore for rural road development have been returned to Tamil Nadu."

Dismissing the allegations over the GST revenue sharing, Nirmala said that the GST collected from Tamil Nadu is fully returned to the State.

"In the last one year alone, SGST tax of Rs 36,353.12 crore, IGST tax of Rs 32,611.92 crore, and CGST tax of Rs 27,360.95 crore have been collected from Tamil Nadu. Fully 100 per cent of SGST is paid to the state, 50 per cent to the state government in IGST and 50 per cent to the Centre in IGST, and 41 per cent to 42 per cent to the State in CGST," Nirmala noted.

Pointing out the 17 schemes of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government such as PMAY, PM Mudra, and Ayushman Bharat, the Finance Minister said, "To those who ask that we ask for our (Tamil Nadu's) tax money with right and authority, I would like to inform you that the Union government has provided more funds that your tax money through various projects including Vande Bharat express trains and various schemes."