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CPI-M calls 15th Finance Commission TOR biased, demands amendments
Hyderabad, April 20 (IANS) The CPI-M on Friday expressed deep concern over the “anti-federal and anti-democratic underpinnings” of the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the 15th Finance Commission and demanded they be amended.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government of trying to utilize the 15th Finance Commission to “further centralise financial powers”.
The party adopted a resolution to this effect at the ongoing 22nd Party Congress here while observing that the TOR were “intended” to reduce the share of the states in the overall tax devolution and “squeeze the fiscal space” available to them.
The resolution also took strong exception to one of the terms of reference which speaks of “control or lack of it in incurring expenditure on populist measures”, saying: “Whether a programme is populist or not is a decision to be made in the political domain and not by the Finance Commission.”
“The TOR suggest that the 15th Finance Commission should review the recommendation of the 14th Finance Commission to raise the share of states in central taxes to 42 per cent. Further, they ask whether the constitutional provision to provide revenue deficit grants to states be continued at all. The policies that follow from both of these will certainly reduce resource devolution to the states.
“There are clear suggestions that the Finance Commission enforce the recommendations of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act Review Committee Report. Any such move will significantly reduce the fiscal deficit and debt-GDP ratio permitted for the states, and will severely curtail the fiscal space available to states,” it added.
The resolution expressed concern that shifting the base year for calculation of population weight from 1971 to 2011 in the TOR of the Commission would result in “heavy loss of revenue to states that have effectively implemented appropriate health and family planning programmes”, including the southern states, West Bengal, Odisha and Punjab.
“There is a bias in the TOR towards giving primacy to central government programmes. It may also be noted that the objectives of most of these centrally-sponsored programmes fall within the domain of the states,” it claimed.
Noting that the fiscal imbalance between the Centre and the states has widened over time as from the 11th Finance Commission onwards, the central grants have “increasingly tended to be subject to conditions imposed on the states”, the CPI-M said that the adoption of GST has been a “blow to the resource mobilisation potential of the states”.
“The 22nd Congress of the CPI-M appeals to the people to rally to demand amendments to the TOR, in order that the 15th Finance Commission, which is a Constitutional body, be able to function in a free and just manner,” it said.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.