Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chairs pre-Budget meet today

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• Dec 30, 2021 | moderator

Digital Desk: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is chairing a with finance ministers of states and union territories (UTs) today.

The meeting for the budget consultation is taking place at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. Several chief ministers who hold finance portfolios are also attending the meeting, as per sources.

Sources have stated that chief ministers, including Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, are present at the meet. Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir Manoj Sinha is also present in the meeting chaired by Nirmala Sitharaman.

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Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel restated the state's need for GST settlement, transferring the amounts collected as 'extra levy' from coal block units and refunding the cost of Rs 15,000 crore made by the state government for removal of Naxalism.

"A special provision should be made in the next budget for the reimbursement of the expenditure of Rs 15,000 crore made by the state government on the central security forces deployed in the state for the eradication of Naxalism," CM Baghel stated in the meeting.

He further stated that the state's economy had been affected due to the disturbance of financial activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Baghel further raised the concern of receiving fewer taxes from the Central Government.

He said, "Chhattisgarh has received less share of central taxes by Rs 13,089 crore in the Union Budget of the last three years. In the coming budget, the percentage of central taxes should be provided to the state altogether."