Some CMs requested for increasing states' capital expenditure: Sitharaman after meeting on economic recovery post-COVID

New Delhi [India], November 15 : Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said that some of the Chief Ministers requested for increasing the states' capital expenditure during the meeting today on the subject of economic recovery post-COVID pandemic.
Chief Ministers of 15 States, Deputy Chief Ministers of three States, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and finance ministers of other States participated in a meeting.
"Some of the CMs requested for increasing the states' capital expenditure. They said it would be helpful for them to get a part of the tax devolution. I have directed the finance secretary to do this immediately," Sitharaman said in a press conference after the meeting.
"After the second wave of COVID-19, we are witnessing robust growth. However, we are also looking at ways in which growth can be sustained and take it as close as possible to double-digit growth, for which Centre and states need to work together," he said.
The Finance Minister said that the meeting today was basically to seek states' ideas in pushing growth forward, since in many of the issues such as manufacturing, development and investment, it is the states who do work from the forefront, support from the Centre being there always.
"We had very very key ideas coming from states, and generic requests; examples - the way in which some states have given project approvals, better dispute resolution mechanisms, enhancing road connectivity, ideas for immediate job creation."