Centre making states financially weaker, says Ashok Gehlot

Jaipur: Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Centre's economic policies, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday charged that the central government is making states financially weaker.

Supporting TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee who has expressed concern on alleged attacks on democracy and constitution in a letter to leaders of opposition parties, Gehlot said he too had raised in the assembly the issue of states getting alleged step-motherly treatment from the Centre.

On the one hand, the prime minister talks about cooperative federalism and on the other hand the states are being made financially weak, Gehlot tweeted.

The chief minister said the central government has imposed cess on diesel and petrol, basic excise duty is being reduced constantly and special excise duty and additional excise duty is increasing. Therefore, the share of states from divisible pool has significantly reduced.

Also, he said, the Centre has increased share of states in centrally sponsored schemes and reduced the Centre's share which has adversely impacted revenue of states.

Gehlot also tweeted details about devolution, divisible pool and change in sharing pattern of centrally sponsored schemes.