Public Awareness & General Administration Consultation meeting for the Union Budget of 2023-24 The States urged the Centre to rein in its reliance on raising revenues through cesses and surcharges which reduce the State’s share in the divisible pool of taxes. The proposition was made by the states at a consultation meeting for the Union Budget of 2023-24, steered by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and attended by Chief Ministers, Deputy CMs as well as Finance Ministers of States. Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan noted that the share of cesses and surcharges had grown from 10.4% of gross tax revenue in 2011-12 to 26.7% in 2021-22 which has deprived the States of their legitimate share of revenue collected by the Union Government. Some states raised concern about the pending dues from the five year GST compensation window for States that expired on June 30, 2022. Note The Compensation Cess is a Cess that will be collected on the supply of select goods and or services or both till 1st July 2022. The Cess will compensate the states for any revenue loss on account of implementation of GST. Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility Women save money due to free bus travel, finds T.N. Planning Commission study The study, ‘A Report on the Zero Ticket Bus Travel Scheme for Women in State Owned Bus Transport Corporations,’ was conducted by the State Planning Commission. The study was conducted among the women passengers in the three districts of Nagapattinam, Tiruppur and Madurai. Nagapattinam was chosen to see how women in the agriculture belt commute. Tiruppur was taken to see how women in industrial belts commute. Madurai was chosen for being a major trading centre as well as a tourist destination. Key Highlights of the Study Women passengers in Nagapattinam, Madurai and…
