Maharashtra continues to top in GST collection

Maharashtra continues to be at the top amongst all states with a Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection of Rs 16,103.50 crore in February against Rs 15,734.66 crore during the corresponding period last year, a rise of 2 per cent. India's GST collection for February was reported at Rs 1,13,143 crore. This is despite the fact that the state is yet to recover from the pandemic, lockdown and economic downturn. Maharashtra, being a manufacturing state, has been way ahead in GST collection compared with other states. The state-ruled by Maha Vikas Aghadi raked in Rs 17,699 crore in December 2020 as against Rs 15,001 crore in 2019, an increase of a record 17.98 per cent. In October, the state’s GST revenue collection was Rs 15,799 crore against Rs 15,109 cr in October 2019 (5 per cent); in September 2020, it was Rs 13,546 crore as against Rs 13,579 crore in September 2019 (o per cent); in August, it was Rs 11,602 crore as against Rs 13,407 crore (minus 13 per cent); in July, it was Rs 12,508 crore as against Rs 15,102 crore (minus 17 per cent); and in June, it was Rs 14,987 crore as against Rs 15,143 crore (minus 1 per cent). Even though Maharashtra remains on the top, the state government has been urging the central government for an early clearance of its GST dues worth Rs 29,290 crore by the end of February. The government has argued that, if the Centre pays the compensation at the earliest, it will bring relief in the financial crunch. Out of the revenue collection target of Rs 3,47,456 crore for 2020-21, the state has collected just Rs 1,88,542 crore at the end of January 2021. This is 35 per cent less than the budgetary estimate and 21 per cent lower than the collection in the same period in the previous year.