Minister for Tamil Language Ma Foi K. Pandiarajan on Monday argued that the country’s integration need not happen through centralising fiscal resources with the central government. “It will actually strengthen the Indian economy if it starts moving back to the States. We will be a stronger political entity. In my view, with all these attempts to create a strong Centre, (there) will be a consequent move, a concurrent move towards weakening of the States,” he said at a conclave on ‘Functional Governance for a New India: Politics of Economics’ in Chennai.
Speaking on the topic “Centre-State relations of the future” at the event organised by the Madras Management Association (MMA), Mr. Pandiarajan said: “Most of the States are in tatters…Centre also is in tatters. But they are able to manage by sucking out resources from the States.”
Systematic process
The Minister said the Centre had been systematically making the States pay more and called for revisiting Centre-State relationship. “You name a Central scheme…Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan…they have managed to get the States to spend more and get the identity of the project more with the central government. This has been systemic thing which has been happening over the past 20 years. It is very unfair. Strong States…they are actually becoming an epicentre of economic activity will lead India to become a stronger nation,” said Mr. Pandiarajan.
Delivering a speech about “Grassroot-level economic decision making”, PMK MP Anbumani Ramadoss traced how he implemented the National Rural Health Mission during his term as Union Health Minister.
“We planned for nine months to design the National Rural Health Mission. Today, the programme has succeeded,” he said.
