One way to read this story is to do it while keeping the larger context of “how to make states bow down to you” in mind.
By ceding control over excise tax revenues, thanks to GST, states had already lost much of their “money” power. Now, with no alcohol sales and very little sale of petrol/diesel, they lose the two key sources of revenue (alcohol & petroleum products are outside the preview of GST)
If you control the money, you get the “cooperation” in the “co-operative federalism” one way or another.
This is neither a critique nor an endorsement. It’s just the way I am seeing this situation. As of now...
