Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the Centre of pursuing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideology that challenges the federal system and appropriates powers of the State governments.
Inaugurating a seminar on ‘Centre-State relations’ organised by the AKG Centre for Research and Studies here on Thursday, Mr. Vijayan said the Centre, concomitant to the RSS ideology, was preaching decentralisation and trying to accumulate powers. Their main agenda was to destroy the federal nature of the Constitution. The concept of a strong Centre and self-sufficient States was under threat. Sufficient hints had been dropped on its plan to introduce a presidential system of governance, he said.
Even the States governed by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituents such as Andhra Pradesh were in conflict with the Centre for its failure to honour the commitment on sanctioning the promised funds. The Centre-State share for projects had been revised from 80-20 to 60-40. There were glaring anomalies in resource-sharing too, he said.
The projects being implemented in health, education and agriculture sectors sought to encroach on the powers of the State governments. Dissolution of the Planning Commission and the decision to scrap the Five Year Plans were some of the retrograde steps. The Prime Minister had refused to meet an all-party delegation that sought audience to apprise him of the issues concerning the State.
The delay in granting presidential assent to Bills had led to administrative stalemate in States. But he added that the government shared a warm relation with Governor P. Sathasivam.
Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala called for a thorough restructuring of Centre-State relations instead of adopting a confrontational course. The legislations passed by an Assembly should be subjected to legal scrutiny too. All powers were now concentrated on the Prime Minister’s Office. There was a disparity development across the country. This should be addressed, he said.
Former Finance Minister K.M. Mani called for summoning a special session of Parliament to discuss the recasting of Centre-State relations. While the States were devolving power to the local governments, the Centre was trying to wrest and retain more powers from the States.
The number of subjects under the States’ ambit had come down fro 66 to 26. The share for States from the divisive pool of the Centre should be increased to 50% from the current 42%, he said.
CPI State secretary Kanam Rajendran accused the Centre of flouting even the basic principles of Centre-State relations and showing an authoritarian nature. The relations should be redefined in the wake of the rising instances of the misuse of Article 356 of the Constitution. Time has come for all democratic and secular forces to jointly mount pressure on the Centre for conserving the principles of federalism, he said.
CPI(M) leader A. Vijayaraghavan welcomed. State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan presided.
