NEW DELHI: Citing Covid-induced inflation as a reason, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has sought the Centre to boost the national capital's share of the central tax, which has been only Rs 325 crore for the past 21 years and is unfair to the Union Territory.

"Also, for the last 21 years, Delhi has only received Rs 325 crore in central tax; now the Central government must boost it," Sisodia said at the annual meeting of Chief Ministers with Union Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman for the Union Budget 2022-2023, which took place on Thursday.

The amount of central assistance to the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) has been reduced from Rs 370 crore in 2000-01 to barely Rs 626 crore in 2020-21. However, he continued, Delhi's spending has climbed by more than nine times since 2000-01, from 7,200 crore to 69,000 crore in 2021-22.

"In light of the current Covid-19 pandemic, the Delhi government has spent money on various Covid-related urgent and emergent activities, which are still ongoing. As a result, the Delhi Deputy Chief Minister stated, an increase in central support is now required "The Ministry of Home Affairs has been asked to allocate Rs 1,925 crore in revised estimates (RE) 2021-22 and Rs 2,020 crore in 2022-23.

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