Punchi safeguards to prevent Art 356’s misuse

NEW DELHI: THE commission on Centre-state relations headed by former Chief Justice of India M M Punchi — which submitted its report on Monday — has dealt at length with Article 355 and Article 356, proposing safeguards to prevent their abuse to dismiss state governments.

“Whatever questions were raised (on Article 355 and 356), these were answered,” Justice Punchi told newspersons after submitting the seven-volume report of the commission to home minister P Chidambaram here.

The commission has also studied new set-ups like the National Investigation Agency, and recommended procedures to ensure smooth co-operation of the states in terror investigations entrusted to NIA.

Of the seven volumes that make up the report, the first deals with evolution of Centre-state relations. The second
volume goes into the constitutional scheme of things, covering recommendations regarding Article 19, Article 355 and 356 and Article 263. The third volume deals with economic and financial relations, and recommendations include upgrading of the planning model to remove regional imbalances. The fourth volume gives recommendations regarding 73rd and 74th amendments and the Sixth Schedule.

The fifth volume deals exclusively with internal security, covering issues like terror, Naxalism, insurgency and communal violence. The sixth volume goes into environment issues and resource-sharing, particularly of rivers and minerals, while the seventh volume has dealt with social development and good governance.

“The objective of the Centre-state commission has been to ensure smooth functioning of the federal structure,” said a senior member of the Centre-state relations panel, which put together the report in less than three years.