16th Finance panel chief urged to consider various issues for recommendations

Vijayawada: Lanka Dinakar, chairman of 20-point programme implementation and Jammalamadugu MLA Ch Adinaryana Reddy in a memorandum appealed to Dr Aravind Panagariyia, the chairman of 16th Finance Commission, here on Wednesday to incorporate various issues in 16th Finance Commission recommendations to the Central government.

Referring to the tax devolution, Lanka Dinakar and Adinarayana Reddy said that the existing 41 percent of the devolution of taxes mentioned in the 15th Finance Commission may be continued during the period of 16th commission.

Likewise, revenue deficit grant shall be continued for the States which will have the ‘post-tax devolution revenue deficit’ as per the existing parameters in the 14th and 15th Finance Commission recommendations.

The BJP leaders said that sector specific grants like health, school education, higher education, implementation of agriculture reforms, maintenance of PMGSY roads, and improvement to judiciary both physical and human should be taken into consideration.

They pointed out that special attention is required to evaluate the performance of the aspirational districts and blocks.

Referring to grants for local bodies, they said that apart from the population and area, existing slums and infrastructure facilities shall be considered for providing funds to local bodies.

Special attention is required for Andhra Pradesh since the 974 km coastal area with vulnerable weather conditions damages the government and private infrastructure and agriculture and aquaculture outputs regularly. Matching Grants shall be provided properly and in time for the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS). The gaps in the existing schemes like PMAY, AMRUTand JJM shall be completed duly.

The BJP leaders appealed to the chairman to use his good office to consider these issues for better utilisation of funds.