Centre agrees to clear FY21 pending GST compensation of Rs 11,400 cr in instalments: Karnataka CM
New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has said the Centre has agreed to give last year's pending GST compensation of Rs 11,400 crore at the earliest in instalments.
His statement came after meeting Union Finance Minister Nirmal Sitharaman in the national capital on Friday.
He said the funds are required urgently to meet the Covid-19 and other expenses in the state.
"I have requested for payment of last year dues in GST compensation of Rs 11,400 crore. The FM has agreed to give it in instalments. She will start releasing it immediately," Bommai told reporters after the meeting.
Bommai, who is also a member of the GST Council, said the state had received a GST compensation of Rs 12,000 crore for the 2020-21 fiscal. However, the pending amount was Rs 11,400 crore, he said.
The chief minister also sought early release of GST compensation of about Rs 18,000 crore for the current fiscal and funds for the centrally sponsored schemes.
"She (FM) has promised a lot of help for the agriculture sector through NABARD," he said.
This was his first visit to Delhi after becoming the chief minister.
On the second day of his visit, the chief minister also called on Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi.
He also visited Raj Ghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. He also paid tribute to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his memorial Sadaiv Atal here.
On Friday, Bommai had called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also met Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
He had also met MPs from the state at Hotel Ashoka here.
Bommai, who was elected as the new leader of the BJP legislature party on Tuesday, following B S Yediyurappa's resignation, took oath as the chief minister on Wednesday.
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Three arrested for killing Buddhist woman monk in Himachal
Shimla (PTI): Three people have been arrested for allegedly murdering a Buddhist woman monk in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh nearly a month ago, police said on Friday.
The accused -- Gagan Sharma (23), Vishal (23) and Gaurav Sharma (20), all residents of Mandi -- were arrested on Thursday night, police said.
According to police, the 78-year-old Buddhist woman monk, Orje Shoki, was found murdered in a cave near Sarkidhar village, following which a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to nab the accused.
Mandi Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinod Kumar said that during the investigation, more than 50 suspects were questioned and DNA samples of several suspects were also collected.
After a detailed investigation, the accused were arrested from different locations on Thursday night, he said.
Kumar said all the accused are drug addicts and they committed the crime with the intention of looting the victim, so that they could buy drugs.
Efforts are on to nab two more accused wanted in the case. They will be put behind bars soon, the SP said.
