PANAJI: Goa Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho has said he and Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan had clashed on the issue of compensation to states during the 43rd GST Council meeting held on May 28, and asked the latter to apologise.
Godinho told reporters on Saturday that, at the meeting chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, he had asked for smaller states like Goa be given "preferential treatment" in compensation cess.
This, Godinho claimed, was opposed by Thiagarajan, which led to a verbal tussle at the meet.
"Thiagarajan must apologise to the people of Goa," he told reporters.
However, in a media statement uploaded on his Twitter handle, Thiagarajan said there was no need to apologise as he had done no harm to the people of Goa.
The TN minister also attacked Godinho's conduct in the meeting and said the latter had opposed the demand made on humanitarian grounds of doing away with 5 per cent GST on COVID-related medicines and vaccines.