U’khand to gain from GST, says Sushma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 28

Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj today rebuffed claims that the interest of Uttarakhand had been harmed due to the imposition of new funding pattern for the Central schemes. “Uttarakhand has not been penalised, but will benefit from the increased 10 per cent share as recommended under the 14th Finance Commission. Further with the implementation of Goods and Service Tax (GST), the state will benefit more from the next year. The BJP does not discriminate on political lines and treats all parties equally,” she said.

When it was pointed out that Uttarakhand had not benefited from its green agenda and was instead penalised, as most of its dams had been shut, Swaraj said the Centre would soon chalk out a strategy for helping states like Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh get its due, especially in context of the green bonus.

However, the minister was emphatic that the claims made by Chief Minister Harish Rawat about Uttarakhand’s interest having been harmed due to the change in new funding pattern.