Finance Commission report tabled in state assembly

Action for amendment or introduction of legislative measures for implementation of recommendations of the Fourth Assam State Finance Commission report would be taken up by departments, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said today.
The Cabinet has accepted several recommendations of the commission and the departments have been asked to prepare activity mapping, maintain account of funds and others will be taken up by the administrative departments for implementation.
The chief minister laid the report (2011-16) along with Explanatory Memorandum on the action taken on the recommendations of the Commission in the assembly highlighting recommendations accepted by the state cabinet.
The Commission's recommendation that state government loans outstanding against Panchayati Raj bodies amounting to Rs 46.40 lakh may be written off has been accepted and the Panchayat and Rural Department has taken action on it.

The recommendation of revising the rates of remuneration of elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions has also been accepted and the P&RD has incorporated the enhanced remuneration in their Act/Rules by Gazette Notification.
The Commission also recommended that registration of births and deaths be transferred to Panchyati Raj bodies which has been accepted and transferred along with the transfer of subjects as per the 11th schedule of the Constitution.

The recommendation that the annual tateable values (AVR) of property tax be replaced by Unit Area Method (UAM) has been accepted and action was being taken by departments.
It has been recommended that in the absence of proper documentation of outstanding state government loans against Urban Local Bodies may be written off which has been accepted.

On outstanding HUDCO loans to Urban Local bodies against state government guarantee one time settlement may be made but HUDCO has not agreed to this proposal.
The state government has accepted the recommendation that in sharing the net proceeds of state taxes with Panchayats and Municipalities, a global approach of sharing the net proceeds of all state taxes excluding non-tax revenue and share of central taxes be adopted.
The recommendation that the yield from Entry Tax, Amusement and Betting Tax, Electricity duty and the amounts of taxes collected from Schedule VI areas shall not form part of the shareable pool has been accepted and Finance Departments was taking necessary action in this regard.

The state cabinet has also accepted the recommendation that 15 per cent of the net proceeds of state's own tax revenue shall form the divisible pool for distribution between the Panchayati Raj bodies and urban local bodies for 2012-13 to 2015-16.
The Commission recommended that apart from High Level Monitoring Committee headed by the Chief Secretary, a Monitoring and Evaluation Cell may be set up in the nodal heads of department.