Nirmala Sitharaman criticizes Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s “Hunky Dory” jab in Parliament over GST Dues row

The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman responded to accusations made by the Congress’ leader in the Lok Sabha, Mr. Chowdhury, regarding the allocation of tax revenues to states/union territories. She explained that the devolution to states occurs according to the Finance Commission’s recommendation and emphasized that she had no discretion in the allocation of tax revenues.

She criticized the allegations as a politically-motivated narrative spread by vested interest groups. Mr. Chowdhury had accused Ms. Sitharaman and the ruling BJP of showing arbitrary and discriminatory behavior towards opposition-ruled states, citing the example of Karnataka.

The Congress leader referred to comments made by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and criticized the allocation of funds in the 2024 Interim Budget. In response, Ms. Sitharaman provided an explanation of the allocation of tax revenues, particularly related to the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and reiterated that she follows the recommendations of the Finance Commission without discretion.

She rejected the allegations of discrimination against certain states and challenged Mr. Chowdhury’s claims of the situation being “hunky dory” until recent months. The Finance Minister attempted to clarify the process and emphasized that she does not have the authority to change allocations based on personal preferences or political affiliations.

She urged Mr. Chowdhury to engage with the Finance Commission for further discussions, ending her response with a gesture of respect. NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels.