15th Finance Commission initiates consulltations meets MPs

The 15th Finance Commission today launched the consultation process by interacting with the Members of Parliament.

The first meeting of the panel was to convey the proposed schedule of the Commission's work as well as its Terms of Reference (TOR) and also to seek their suggestions on these, an official statement said.

The MPs made a case for providing a compensation roadmap for losses to the states due to implementation of GST.

They made various suggestions about a relook at the processes and methods to consider the backwardness of a state including the needs of aspirational districts.

Parliamentarians appreciated the inclusion of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), disaster management, climate change, progress made in sanitation, solid waste management and bringing in behavioural change to end open defecation among others.

In its endeavour to increase interaction with various stakeholders, the Commission is starting its state level visits with Arunachal Pradesh in April 2018 and intends to finish the State Level visits by the end of the fiscal year.

"Since some states will be having assembly elections, visits will be arranged according to that. During State visits, Commission, apart from meeting State leadership and Government officials, will also meet various political parties, local bodies and other bodies," it said.

The Chairman in his remarks outlined the Commission's responsibility and TOR and solicited their views. He encouraged them to also send any letters and written comments in this regard. Meeting was arranged by PRS which acts as nodal point for such interactions.