CHENNAI: Amid his govt's confrontation with the Centre, Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on Tuesday announced in the assembly the constitution of a high-level committee led by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Kurian Joseph to address concerns over states' autonomy and federalism .
The panel is tasked with recommending measures to protect constitutionally guaranteed rights of states and propose improvements in relationship between Centre and state govts. An interim report is expected by Jan next year and a full report in two years.
BJP and AIADMK opposed CM's move by walking out of the assembly while DMK's allies supported Stalin. BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran expressed concern about the demand for "total autonomy", questioning its fairness and appropriateness.
"I place it on record with pain," Stalin said, expressing concern about "the erosion of states' rights and the need to fight for fundamental rights of the people". Later, he said on X, "A strong Union is not built by weakening states. It is built by empowering them. And once again, Tamil Nadu rises to lead this call." He added that Union govt's steady encroachment into "rightful domains" of states has disrupted the constitutional balance.
The committee includes former vice-chancellor of Indian Maritime University Ashok Vardhan Shetty and former vice-chairman of Tamil Nadu state planning commission M Naganathan.
The committee will recommend measures to restore subjects that were moved from state to concurrent list; address "challenges faced by states in providing good governance"; ensure states have maximum autonomy in administration, assemblies, and judicial courts, without compromising the country's unity and integrity; and consider recommendations of Rajamannar panel constituted in 1969 by former CM and Stalin's father, late M Karunanidhi.
The Rajamannar committee's recommendations on the Centre-state ties were accepted by TN assembly on April 16, 1974. Subsequently, the Centre established the Sarkaria commission in 1983 and Justice Poonchi committee in 2004.
Stalin expressed dismay that previous reports have not led to change. "Union govt is rapidly moving important powers in the state list such as health, law and finance to the concurrent list," he said, arguing that education should be reverted to the state list.
Expressing disappointment over AIADMK's walk-out ahead of his announcement, Stalin said former chief ministers M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa aligned with DMK in realising the demands of the people, regardless of differences of opinion.
The panel is tasked with recommending measures to protect constitutionally guaranteed rights of states and propose improvements in relationship between Centre and state govts. An interim report is expected by Jan next year and a full report in two years.
BJP and AIADMK opposed CM's move by walking out of the assembly while DMK's allies supported Stalin. BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran expressed concern about the demand for "total autonomy", questioning its fairness and appropriateness.
"I place it on record with pain," Stalin said, expressing concern about "the erosion of states' rights and the need to fight for fundamental rights of the people". Later, he said on X, "A strong Union is not built by weakening states. It is built by empowering them. And once again, Tamil Nadu rises to lead this call." He added that Union govt's steady encroachment into "rightful domains" of states has disrupted the constitutional balance.
The committee includes former vice-chancellor of Indian Maritime University Ashok Vardhan Shetty and former vice-chairman of Tamil Nadu state planning commission M Naganathan.
The committee will recommend measures to restore subjects that were moved from state to concurrent list; address "challenges faced by states in providing good governance"; ensure states have maximum autonomy in administration, assemblies, and judicial courts, without compromising the country's unity and integrity; and consider recommendations of Rajamannar panel constituted in 1969 by former CM and Stalin's father, late M Karunanidhi.
The Rajamannar committee's recommendations on the Centre-state ties were accepted by TN assembly on April 16, 1974. Subsequently, the Centre established the Sarkaria commission in 1983 and Justice Poonchi committee in 2004.
Stalin expressed dismay that previous reports have not led to change. "Union govt is rapidly moving important powers in the state list such as health, law and finance to the concurrent list," he said, arguing that education should be reverted to the state list.
Expressing disappointment over AIADMK's walk-out ahead of his announcement, Stalin said former chief ministers M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa aligned with DMK in realising the demands of the people, regardless of differences of opinion.
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