Maharashtra seeks GST return from centre amid loss of ₹35,000 crores due to COVID-19

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday informed that the state was facing the loss of worth ₹35,000 crores due to lockdown amid the coronavirus outbreak and sought the release of GST return from the centre as soon as possible to help the states during times of economic crisis. 

“The state needs to get its full share of devolution of central taxes and GST refund at the earliest to secure relief in these trying times and to tide over this crisis. The lockdown has hit Maharashtra’s finances by ₹35,000 crores,” CM Uddhav Thackeray told Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a virtual meeting. 

CM Thackeray further stated that the GST and customs duty imposed on medical equipment should be waived as some institutions are importing the equipment. Moreover, the companies which are taking an initiative to develop the coronavirus vaccine must be encouraged, he said. 

About a month ago, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar also sought ₹25,000 crore package for Maharashtra. In a letter written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Centre’s state in-charge Nitin Gadkari and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, Pawar also asked the centre to clear dues of ₹16,654 crores. 

The Maharashtra Chief Minister also asked the central government to provide farmers with the benefit of loan waiver scheme in the state. Some farmers could not get the benefit of the loan waiver due to the elections earlier, Uddhav Thackeray said. 

“Before the coronavirus pandemic, a loan waiver scheme for the farmers was launched but farmers in some districts, especially Vidarbha, couldn’t get the benefit of this loan write-off because of the elections,” Uddhav Thackeray said while adding that the since the Kharif season has started the centre must issue instruction through the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

This will ensure that farmers who didn’t get loan waiver could get crop loans and this will benefit around 10 lakh farmers, the Chief Minister said. 

During his interaction with PM Modi and the Chief Ministers, Uddhav Thackeray also requested the Prime Minister to resume Mumbai suburban local train services only for people engaged in essential services. They should be allowed to travel only by showing their identity card. 

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