Gujarat to demand higher allocation from Finance Commission

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat government will demand for higher allocation of central taxes from the fourteenth Finance Commission during its two-day visit to the state from tomorrow.

"The state government will submit a memorandum demanding higher allocation of Central taxes to the state. The Commission will decide the share of Central taxes to Gujarat for the period from April 1, 2015 to March 3, 2020," a statement issued by the Information Department said here.

The Commission members will visit some of the projects of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation ( AMC) such as Bus Rapid Transit Service (BRTS) and Sabarmati Riverfront tomorrow.

Afterwards they will hold consultations with representatives of local bodies, chambers of commerce and political parties at three separate meetings.

On Tuesday, commission members will hold discussions with the state government in a meeting to be chaired by Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Members will also visit the state load dispatch centre of Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL) at Vadodara, Industrial Training Institute (ITI) and SSNNL's water pumping station at Dhanki in Surendranagar.

The Thirteenth Finance Commission had given Gujarat 3.04 per cent share of the Central taxes.

Former RBI governor Dr Y V Reddy is the chairman of the 14th Finance Commission. Other members are Planning Commission member Prof Abhijit Sen, National Statistical Commission former chairman Dr Sudipto Mundle, former director of National Institute of Public Finance and Policy Dr M Govind Rao and retired Union government secretary Sushma Nath.

The Union government set up the Commission earlier this year; it will submit its report by October 2014.