Tamil Nadu asks Centre to formulate schemes in consultation with States

Finance Minister K. Anbazhagan presenting Tamil Nadu Budget for the year 2010-2011 in the Assembly, in Chennai on Friday. Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin are in the picture. Photo: V. Ganesan.

The Tamil Nadu government on Friday asked the Centre to formulate schemes in consultation with State governments and allow them to modify plans according to their needs.

“We have been consistently urging the Union Government to give their due rights to the State government, which are serving the people by being closer to them and to refrain from the tendency of enacting laws that take away the powers from the State governments”, Finance Minister K. Anbazhagan said in his budget speech.

He opposed the move to constitute a National Commission for Higher Education.

On the Thirteenth Finance Commission report, Mr. Anbazhagan welcomed the increase in share of States in the shareable net tax revenue of the Centre, but regretted that the

inter-se share of Tamil Nadu in the total devolution had been reduced from 5.3 per cent to 4.9 per cent.

He said the shares of southern States, which had successfully implemented welfare schemes of the Centre, had been reduced.

“It is a punishment for performance,” Mr. Anbazhagan noted.