DW BUREAU / CHANDIGARH Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Tuesday said that with the Centre releasing Punjab's pending GST compensation of Rs 12,187 crore, the state government is expected to utilise the amount to "streamline the state's fiscal situation and ensure timely payment to employees". Badal, who is an MP from Bathinda and the Union food processing minister, said the Centre has cleared Punjab's entire pending goods and services tax compensation by releasing Rs 12,187 crore for the financial year 2019-20. "As GoI (Government of India) has cleared the entire pending #GST compensation amt for Pb by releasing Rs 12,187 cr for FY2019-20, I hope @capt amarinder govt will utilise the same to streamline state's fiscal situation and ensure shagun/pension scheme to all poor along with timely payments to employees," Harsimrat said in her tweet. The Punjab government on July 8 reported a 21 per cent decline in the state's revenue receipts for the first quarter of the current financial year. Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal had then said the funds expected from the Centre in the first quarter had not come, thus leaving the state government struggling to cope, the FM then said. (editor@dailyworld.in)