Minister slams ex-Infosys CFO over silence on Karnataka's GST share
What's the story
Karnataka has overtaken Delhi to emerge as the second-highest contributor to India's direct tax revenue, a recent State Bank of India (SBI) report revealed. The state contributed 11.9% of the country's tax income for fiscal year 2023-24, with Maharashtra on top at 38.9% and Delhi slipping to third at 10.4%. Congress leader and Karnataka's Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao celebrated this economic milestone on X (formerly Twitter).
Leadership credit
Rao praises state's leadership, criticizes central government
Rao attributed the state's economic success to CM Siddaramaiah's leadership and several government initiatives focusing on citizen welfare. He also slammed the Central Government for denying Karnataka its due share of Goods and Services Tax (GST). "Despite being denied its rightful share of GST by the Central Government, Karnataka remains one of India's top-performing states in terms of economic growth," he wrote.
Counter response
Mohandas Pai questions state's efforts, faces criticism
Tech industry veteran and former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai was among those who slammed Rao's post. He asked what had been done for Bengaluru in the last 18 months and slammed increased corruption and urban issues. "Our lives have become more miserable; corruption has increased. The central government does not decide tax devolution; the finance commission does," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
GST silence
Rao accuses Pai of silence on GST issues
In response to Pai's criticism, Rao pointed out his "surprising silence" on matters such as Karnataka's GST share. He said that Pai was quick to criticize but less vocal about demanding Karnataka's fair share of GST revenues. "I invite you to join our fight to demand what's rightfully ours so we can collectively work toward a better Bengaluru and Karnataka," he wrote.
Twitter Post
Check out their exchange here
I know it's tough for you to acknowledge Karnataka's success under the Congress government. I understand your ready willingness to speak out about our government; however, when it comes to advocating for our rightful GST share, you seem to become surprisingly silent, reminiscent… https://t.co/xg529vxuoC
— Dinesh Gundu Rao/ದಿನೇಶ್ ಗುಂಡೂರಾವ್ (@dineshgrao) October 26, 2024