Prime Minister Modi On Finance Commission’s Made: No Favour To Northern States

The Centre has suggested to the finance commission to consider incentivising states working on population control, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today while refuting charges that the Terms of Reference of the 15th Finance Commission were biased against certain states.

He said that the allegations were being made by “vested” interests and the NDA government was committed to cooperative federalism.

“Let me tell you, our critics seem to have missed, and they have missed something. The union government suggested to the finance commission to consider incentivising states which have worked on population control,” he said.

The prime minister referred to what he said was “a baseless allegation being made about the terms of reference of the 15th Finance Commission being biased against certain states or a particular region.”

Watch this interview with Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac on the Prime Minister's comments.

Also Read: No Inherent Bias In 15th Finance Commission's Terms Of Reference, Says Jaitley

The Prime Minister said, by this yardstick a state like Tamil Nadu which devoted a lot of efforts, energy and resources for population control would certainly benefit.

“I would like to remind this was not the case earlier,” he said after inaugurating the ‘Diamond Jubilee Building' of the Cancer Institute in Chennai.

The Centre is committed to “cooperative federalism,” he said, adding, “our mantra is sab ka sath sab ka vikas, let us all work together to build a new India which would make our great freedom fighters proud.”

He extended his greetings to the people on Tamil New Year day that falls on April 14.

Also Read: ‘Terms Of Reference' Of 15th Finance Commission Against Progressive States

Watch this discussion with Rajeev Gowda, Congress' Rajya Sabha MP and National Institute of Public Finance and Policy Professor Pinaki Chakraborty.