Package needed but what about states' GST share: Shiv Sena

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The Shiv Sena said the Rs 20 lakh crore package announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was needed, but added that he should have also talked about giving the states their Goods and Services Tax (GST) share.

Maharashtra, worst-affected by the coronavirus pandemic, should get a major share of assistance, said Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande.

The NCP, Sena's ally in Maharashtra, said it hoped the package did not meet the fate of the one announced by Modi for Bihar in 2015.

In a big push to revive the economy, Modi on Tuesday announced a Rs 20 lakh crore package which combined the government's recent announcements on supporting key sectors as also measures rolled out by the Reserve Bank of India.

"He should have talked about that (states' GST share). There is criticism of PM Cares Fund as it is not under the Right to Information Act. He should have talked about that too," the Sena spokesperson said.

"The most affected states like Maharashtra should be given more share....Mumbai is the country's financial capital. We expect they will give more (money) to Maharashtra and give GST share to the state," she added.

Kayande also said that the prime minister should have explained how the fourth phase of the lockdown will be implemented. "Let's see how it unfolds. We will wait for the details. But it should not go the way Bihar's package went," Maharashtra Minister and NCP national spokesperson Nawab Malik said. Modi had announced a Rs 1.25 lakh crore package for Bihar in 2015, but opposition parties had questioned how much it actually amounted to.

"It should be a separate package. It should not be like an advanced payment. It should be a package," Malik added.