The Central government released Rs 19,950 crore as Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation cess to the states and union territories last Monday, officials said.

With this amount, the Central government has released a total of Rs 1,20,498 crore towards GST compensation to the States/UTs during current financial year, a statement said. However, only Rs 78,874 crore have been collected as compensation cess in the current FY (till January 31, 2020).

Finance Ministry officials said that a total GST compensation cess of Rs 62,611 crore was collected in FY 2017-18, out of which Rs 41,146 crore was released to the states/UTs in FY 2017-18 as GST compensation. Further, in FY 2018-19, Rs 95,081 crore was collected as GST compensation cess of which Rs 69,275 crore were released to the states/UTs.

Officials said that as on March 31, 2019, an amount of Rs 47,271 crore compensation cess collected had remained unutilised after the release of GST compensation to the states/UTs in FYs 2017-18 and 2018-19.