BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Saturday demanded a clarification from the Centre over diversion of Rs 47,000 crore from the GST compensation cess for other purposes.
Referring to the CAG report tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, former finance minister and senior Congress leader Panchanan Kanungo said the Centre had also denied request of transfer of funds amounting Rs 25,000 crore from the states on flimsy grounds.
“The BJD should also explain before the people of the State why the issue was not raised by the party in Parliament,” Kanungo said and alleged that this points towards the tacit understanding between the ruling regional outfit and the BJP.
When Opposition political parties including Congress are trying to raise the issue at the national and state level, the BJD is trying to suppress the issue, he said. Kanungo alleged that the Centre has pushed states to financial crisis by diverting funds in the time of Covid-19 pandemic.