Punjab chooses Option-1 to meet the GST implementation shortfall

The government of Punjab has communicated acceptance of Option-1 to meet the revenue shortfall arising out of GST implementation.

The number of States who have chosen this option has gone up to 26. All the 3 Union Territories with Legislative Assembly (i.e. Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir and Puducherry) have also decided in favour of Option-1.

The States & Union Territories who choose Option-1 are getting the amount of shortfall arising out of GST implementation through a special borrowing window put in place by the Government of India.

The window has been operationalised since October 23, 2020, and the Government of India has already borrowed an amount of Rs 24,000 crores on behalf of the States in four instalments and passed it on to the States and Union Territories, who chose Option-1 on October 23, 2020, November 2, 2020, November 9, 2020, and November 23, 2020.

Now the State of Punjab will also receive funds raised through this window starting from the next round of borrowing.

Under the terms of Option-1, besides getting the facility of a special window for borrowings to meet the shortfall arising out of GST implementation, the States are also entitled to get unconditional permission to borrow the final instalment of 0.50% of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) out of the 2% additional borrowings permitted by the Government of India, under AtmnirbharAbhiyaan on 17th May 2020.

This is over and above the Special Window of Rs.1.1 lakh crores. On receipt of the choice of Option-1 from the Government of Punjab, the Government of India has granted additional borrowing permission of Rs.3,033 crores to the State Government of Punjab (0.5% of Punjab’s GSDP).