Coronavirus | Amarinder seeks ₹3,000 cr. interim compensation from Centre for April

Punjab CM also demands immediate release of ₹4,400 crore of pending GST arrears

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday demanded interim compensation from the Centre to the tune of ₹3,000 crore for April on account of the COVID-19 pandemic .

Pointing to the alarming resource gap between the State’s anticipated receipts and committed expenditure, Capt. Singh has also demanded immediate release of ₹4,400 crore of pending GST arrears.

The Chief Minister’s demand comes a day after Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa asked the Union government to release the State’s arrears,

Letter to Shah

In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Chief Minister asked for expediting the release of the State’s GST arrears of ₹4,400 crore for the last four months to help it overcome its resource constraint.

Heavy traffic jam at the U.P.-Delhi border near Ghazipur as strict checking has been put in place, on Tuesday.

Police personnel from Tamil Nadu intercept motorists near the inter-state border with Puducherry at Gorimedu on Tuesday after a large number of people were seen roaming on the roads after industries opened in Puducherry.

A differently abled person sells snacks at New Bus Stand in Thoothukudi on Tuesday.

Slum dwellers queue to collect free meals distributed by volunteers of a Gurudwara at Subhash Nagar, West Delhi on Tuesday.

Homeless people served lunch inside a night shelter at Tilak Nagar in West Delhi on Tuesday.

A resident of Tarakarama Nagar in Renigunta mandal of Chittoor district carries pitchers of water through a long distance for his daily domestic needs on Tuesday.

Sanitation workers on their routine work in Udhagamandalam. Around 150 sanitation men and women workers are now staying near the Botanical garden.

Medical staff of a private diagnostic centre conduct a drive-through COVID-19 test on Western Express highway near Goregaon in Mumbai, on Tuesday.

Central government health team inspection at COVID-19 sample testing centre at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Chennai, on Tuesday.

Mangoes being sold at Mambazha Salai, Tiruchi, on Tuesday.

Testing times: Social workers handing out food and water to the homeless near the Southern Railways headquarters in Chennai on Tuesday, despite a ban on distribution near containment zones and hospitals.

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Citing the lockdown that had substantial fiscal consequences for all States, Capt. Singh said the Centre should compensate Punjab for its loss of revenue due to COVID-19. While the ₹3,000 crore for April was an estimate, he said “detailed assessment of loss and requirement of funds for relief and rehabilitation will be submitted in due course.”

He said the State government had made a provision of revenue receipts of ₹3,360 crore for April 2020 in the budget 2020-21. However, these receipts were expected to decline sharply as most economic activities remain closed due to lockdown.

Sale of liquor

Pointing to the critical fiscal situation of the State, the Chief Minister sought the Centre’s permission to allow sale of liquor in a phased manner to mop up VAT and excise revenue.