Decisions at GST Council are consensus, wrong to say TN is being provided less: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

COIMBATORE: Decisions at the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meeting were made with the consensus of all states and not unilaterally, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asserted on Thursday.

Taking strong exception to a charge of the ruling DMK that Tamil Nadu got back Rs 29 paise for every single rupee that the state gave to the Centre, she said the state got more funds.

"Tamil Nadu minister is a member of the council as also the ministers from other states. Any decision made at the GST Council has been passed with consensus and no decision has been made ignoring the dissent," Sitharaman told reporters here.

No individual minister could take any decision at the council meeting, she said, and added that even she didn't have the powers to increase or decrease the rate recommended by the Finance Commission, which was a constitutional body.

"If the states want more funds, then they should make a representation before the Finance Commission or be free to approach the court. We can explain. The question is, had there been a rupee less in the allocation sum than what the Finance Commission had recommended or any delay in the disbursement?" Sitharaman asked.

The amount was being disbursed in advance and it was wrong to say that Tamil Nadu was contributing more revenue through GST to the Centre.

"The GST Council is a constitutional body. For every revenue given to the Centre, the states get back 50 per cent each and, in addition, 41 per cent from out of the Centre's share," she said in reply to a charge levelled by the state government.

She also expressed concern over the flooding of Chinese lighters in the black market and said this posed a threat to fireworks factories in Tamil Nadu.

Earlier, speaking at an event, the finance minister said the Centre's initiatives, especially PM Jan Dan Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, SVANidhi and LPG cylinders, economically empowered women.