New Delhi: Twice in a row the Telangana government has not sent a representative to the meeting of state finance ministers called to discuss the inherently ‘biased’ Terms of Reference (TOR) of the 15th Finance Commission, raising doubts about TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s commitment to the ‘federal front’.
The first such meeting was hosted by Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac on April 10. The second meeting was hosted by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday. Southern states have been primarily opposing the TOR, especially shifting the population parameter from the 1971 census to 2011 census. Devolution of finances is based on demographics. Effectively it penalises states that have managed to control population.
Monday’s meeting was attended by Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra, Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh and Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanswamy.
Neighbouring Telangana was conspicuous by their absence. More so, because Mr. Rao has been talking about building a “federal front” that is non-BJP and non-Congress. He has had a series of meetings with Opposition leaders. On March 19, he visited West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. On April 29 he went to Chennai to meet Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam patriarch M.K. Karunanidhi and working president M.K. Stalin. Last Wednesday, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav went to Hyderabad to meet Mr. Rao.
“Fiscal Federalism is just one aspect; there are many other issues too. Telagana too is opposed to the terms of reference of the 15th Finance Commission. But there is tactic and there is long-term strategy. Attending this meeting does not contribute to our aim of a federal front,” TRS member in Rajya Sabha Dr. K. Keshava Rao told The Hindu .
