Jharkhand CM demands release of GST dues to aid state's COVID-19 fight

In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren speaks about the people-centric approach of his state in fighting COVID-19. Soren further requested prime minister Narendra Modi to ease the financial burden on states as for them, avenues for revenue generation to mitigate the crisis, is close to nill.

Hyderabad: Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren claimed that union government needs to ease financial burden on the states while fighting COVID-19 crisis and urged the government to pay the pending GST dues.

In an exclusive interview to ETV Bharat, Soren said that state does not have many avenues to generate income after the introduction of GST and urged financial support from the centre.

"We have not asked for any special packages. We have put forward the situation of the state's economy, which consists of tribals, dalits and other minorities," Soren said.

"Jharkhand is the highest contributor to the railways. The state is struggling even with abundance of natural resources. This is not fair. I request PM to look into the special needs of such states," Soren added.