CM conclave in Delhi next month to discuss financial issues concerning states

Finance ministers of six states Friday decided to organise a chief ministers' conclave next month to evolve a consensus on financial issues concerning states across the country, the Delhi government said in a statement.

It said the decision was taken at a meeting of a Group of Finance Ministers.

The finance ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Kerala attended the meeting, while Karnataka FM joined it on video conferencing. The Puducherry chief minister and the Punjab finance minister participated via teleconferencing.

According to the statement, West Bengal has also agreed to the proposal of chief ministers' conclave.

"We discussed the discriminatory Terms of Reference (ToRs) of the 15th Finance Commission and other financial issues concerning federalism," the statement quoted Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as saying.

Sisodia said the group of finance ministers also held preliminary discussions on GST revenue collection and futuristic revenue collections.

"All these issues will form the agenda for the chief ministers' conclave and all CMs of India will be invited to this event," the deputy chief minister said.

The focus will be on the "discriminatory" ToRs of the current Finance Commission, he said.

The statement said the chief ministers' conclave will be organised in Delhi.