Centre's type of devolution suspect: Gulati

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPRUAM, JULY 10. The vice chairman of the State Planning Board, Dr. I. S. Gulati, has expressed reservations at the type of devolution which the NDA Government seems to be committed to.

Dr. Gulati, who was commenting on the statement made by the Centre while rejecting the autonomy resolution adopted by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in the Deshabhimani, the mouth-piece of the CPI(M), of date said that it was not what the constitutional provisions clearly demarcating the functions and powers of the Centre and the states envisaged. He added that there cannot be true devolution to the states without autonomy in the performance of functions devolved to them.

He felt that the Union Government's claim to have already taken steps towards devolving more financial powers and functions to the states was also open to question. Several measures and proposals of the Government were actually intended to reduce and or encroach upon even the existing financial and administrative powers and functions of the states often disregarding the recommendations and observations of the Sarkaria Commission on Centre - State relations. Many of the major recommendations of the Commission the broad approach of which was to sustain the semi- federal character of the Constitution rather than make it more federal were yet to be acted upon. They included the Commission's suggestion to consult the states adequately before finalising the terms of reference of the Finance Commission.

Dr. Gulati pointed out that the Centre seldom bothered to consult the states individually or collectively through the Inter State Council the acceptance or rejection of a Finance Commission award before going to Parliament. He contended that the states remained deprived of several thousand crore rupees because of the Centre's prevarication on implementing the Tenth Finance Commission's recommendations to devolve 29 per cent of the gross proceeds of total Central taxes.

The states had been demanding the abrogation of centrally sponsored schemes in practically all meetings of the Inter State Council. The demand was based on the strong feeling that through the devolution of funds to the states in the name of these schemes, the Centre was attempting to encroach into fields constitutionally belonging exclusively to the states and at the same time claiming to make additional resource transfers. The Centre had not only ignored this demand but also enhanced several fold the resource transfer under these schemes over the years.

The vice chairman was of the view that it was difficult to find any trace of further devolution in the administrative sphere too. In fact, the attempt was constantly to restrict the jurisdiction of states on subjects originally assigned to them by transferring them to the concurrent list. The latest instance of it was the move to transfer police and public order to the concurrent list taking advantage of Article 355 which enjoined the Centre to protect a State in the event of internal disturbance. He contended that the Centre's claim to have taken steps towards greater devolution of functions and powers to the states was therefore hollow.

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Section  : Southern States
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