Delay in GST fund: FM asks states to follow rules

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman speaks in the Lok Sabha, on Monday. Pic/PTI

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said GST compensation to some states is delayed due to non-availability of AG's authenticated certificate, and that Kerala has not sent even a single such certificate since 2017-18.

Replying to a supplementary question, she also said that Rs 86,912 crore has been released for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation payable to all states up to May 31, 2022.

She said that as per law, GST Council takes decision on the release of GST compensation, not the central government.

The finance minister said if there is any delay in getting the accountant general's (AG) authentication, it is a matter between the AG and the state government concerned and they have to sort it out.

"If there is a problem between them, there is a delay in the delivery of the authentication certificate to the Centre," she said. She underlined that to get GST compensation, state governments have to do a lot more. "The state governments have to...be efficient to sort things out with the AG," she said.

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She urged Kerala MP N K Premachandran (who asked the supplementary question) to request the state government to send the AG certificates in one go. Within a reasonable time, after receiving them, she promised to clear the same. "You have not sent (the AG certificate) even for one year and you keep blaming us that we are not giving you money on time."

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