The state seeking money according to his tax contribution is ‘petty thinking’: Pieus Goyal

Union Minister Piyush Goyal. file. , Photo Credit: PTI

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said that some states demand that they receive central funds in proportion to their contribution of taxes in the central kitty, “petty thinking” and “unfortunate”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s view is that if the country is rich, then eight states of Northeast and Eastern Indian states like Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand have to be developed, Mr. Goyal said on Saturday.

BJP leaders were speaking in the ‘Rashtrapati Ekatamata Yatra 2025’, which is a program organized here by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and ‘Students Experience in Inter-State Living (SEIL) initiative.

In the last 11 years, the “laser focus” of the Modi government was, like Arjuna of Mahabharata, in the northeastern and eastern states, the minister said.

“It is unfortunate that some states and some leaders … I do not want to politicize it, but some leaders of Maharashtra used to say … Earlier government leaders who were there for two and a half years. They were paid by Mumbai and Maharashtra. Calculated taxed tax and (demand) it should get a lot of amount back [of central funds]”Mr. Goyal said.

Mumbai North MP was clearly referring to the Maha Vikas Aghdi government led by the previous Uddhav Thackeray.

“There are some states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, which they say that they should get back the amount of taxes they have paid. No one can be [greater] Petty thinking [chhoti soch] From this. Nothing (more) can be unfortunate than this, “he said.

The minister said that there is no need to worry now because the current BJP -led government in Maharashtra is very sensitive to Northeast India.

The Modi government at the Center, for the last 11 years, is following the “Act East” and “Look East” policy, giving priority to Northeast India, Mr. Goyal said.

Under the Modi government, the capitals of the northeastern states are being connected by the Railways and a network of highways is being built, he said.

PM Modi has visited the Northeast more than 65 times, noted, and urged people to visit the region at least once to see his beauty and culture.