Indian federal system of governance under threat from Modi Government: CPI(M)

BHUBANESWAR: Claiming that India's federal system of governance is under "threat" from the Narendra Modi dispensation, CPI(M) today called upon Odisha Chief Minister and BJD President Naveen Patnaik to take a clear stand on the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.

"As the Centre abolished the Planning Commission and set up Niti Ayog, the states are forced to get funds at the mercy of the ministries, more particularly from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). This is against the original federal structure of India," CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury told reporters here.

Stating that the abolition of the Planning Commission led to economic power being centralised with the PMO, Yechury said transfer of resources to the states has been affected though the Centre has started a propaganda that flow of funds has increased.

"The ground reality is totally different as the states are getting less central share. This is because the Centre has slashed the ratio of direct tax which was being distributed among the states. On the other hand, it (Centre) increased the indirect tax which directly went to the central government coffer," Yechury pointed out.

As the people of Odisha also suffer due to less flow of funds from the Centre, the CPI(M) appealed to the Chief Minister to take a clear position in this regard.

With no provision of the National Development Council (NDC), where the chief ministers were making demands for the welfare of their states and with abolition of Planning Commission, now the states will have to go to the PMO with "begging bowl," Yechury said.

This should be strongly opposed, he asserted.