Chennai, Sep 23 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on savings through Goods and Service Tax slab restructuring, and said families would have saved many lakh crores of rupees more had the reforms been initiated eight years ago.

The Prime Minister has said Indians will save Rs 2.5 lakh crore through GST reform and Income Tax relief. "But this is exactly what the Opposition has been demanding from the very beginning. If these measures had been taken eight years ago, families across the country would already have saved many lakh crores more," Stalin said.

Moreover, he said that it was his duty to point out that 50 per cent of this relief has been actually borne by the state governments, a fact which the Centre has failed to acknowledge as well as appreciate, he claimed.

India implemented the GST reforms, termed 2.0 and "GST Bachat Utsav", effective from September 22. The restructuring focuses on simplifying the four-slab system of 5 per cent, 12, 18 and 28 per cent into a two-slab structure of 5 and 18 per cent.

Marking the rollout coinciding with the commencement of the Navratri festival, the Prime Minister, in an open letter to Indians on September 22, said, "We have strengthened the hands of the middle class with the massive income tax cuts, which ensure zero tax up to the annual income of Rs 12 lakh. If we combine the income tax cuts and the next general GST reforms, they add up to savings of nearly Rs 2.5 lakh crore for the people.” Referring to Modi’s observation, Stalin said in a post on the social media platform ‘X’ that, on the contrary, the Union BJP Government was denying funds that rightfully belonged to the states.

"Tamil Nadu is being denied #SamagraShiksha funds only because we refuse to accept #HindiImposition. When will this injustice end?," he asked.

The Chief Minister further said, "India cannot grow by punishing states that defend their rights and stand for their people. Respect federalism, release the funds, and let the people benefit from what is rightfully theirs". PTI JSP ADB

GST slab restructuring hailed as tax relief, while states allege they bore half the fiscal burden and face fund denial. GST slab restructuring consolidates four rates into two (5% and 18%) alongside income tax cuts presented as nationwide savings, while the Chief Minister contends that approximately half of the relief has been borne by state governments. He alleges the Centre has failed to acknowledge or compensate states and links the withholding of SamagraShiksha funds to a language-policy dispute, framing the practice as punitive and contrary to federal fiscal equity.