Stalin writes to PM, 10 CMs on 15th Finance Commission's Terms of Reference

DMK leader M.K.Stalin on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Ministers of 10 non-BJP ruled states expressing concerns on certain elements of the Terms of Reference for the 15th Finance Commission.

In a letter to Modi and Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha, Weste Bengal, Delhi and Punjab, he said the fiscal autonomy of many states could be reduced to that of municipalities due to the "ill-conceived" Terms of Reference, which were framed without consulting any of the States.

Stalin said the certain aspects of the Terms of Refernce for the 15th Finance Commission will affect equitable distribution of the central tax revenue to the states.

Citing that the Commission may consider proposing measurable performance based incentives to "Efforts and progress made in moving towards replacement level of population growth", and the Commission shall use the 2011 population data while making its recommendations, he said these will impact the allocations to progressive states.

He said, Tamil Nadu will lose if 2011 census data is used and also it will be deprived of any incentive as the state has achieved the neutral net reproductive rate target long back.

Stalin said progressive states have implemented socio-economic programmes on their own and got good results ahead of similar schemes of the Central government and condemned such regressive Terms of Reference focused on Central government schemes alone.

The Leader of the Opposition in Tamil Nadu also said it is unconstitutional to ask the un-elected members of the Finance Commission to judge schemes that are populist.

--IANS

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