Hyderabad, Sept.9 (NSS): 16th Finance Commission Chairman Arvind Panagariya along with commission members held meetings with representatives of political parties, municipal chairpersons, former sarpanches and representatives of various business and trade organizations, members of state finance commission at Praja Bhavan on Monday.
During the meetings the Chairman of the Finance Committee Dr. Arvind Panagariya, Members Ajay Narayan Jha, Annie George Mathew, Dr. Manoj Panda, Soumya Kanti Ghosh, association secretary Ritvik Pandey heard the views of the representatives of political parties, members of urban and local bodies and representatives of various business and trade organizations on devolution of funds between the Centre and State as well as the urban and local bodies.
Principal Secretary Municipal Administration Dana Kishore briefed the committee members about the status of urban local bodies in the state. He highlighted the major reforms initiated by the Municipal Administration department in the state and briefed the various developmental activities implemented by the department under the 15th finance commission. Later the commission members interacted with mayors and chairmen of several municipal corporations and municipalities.
Later, there was a meeting with the officials of rural development department wherein the Secretary PR&RD Lokesh Kumar gave a brief overview of the rural development department in the state. He informed the Commission members that all Gram Panchayats in the state have achieved ODF plus. The commission heard the views of former sarpanches of gram panchayats, ZPTCs, MPPs,etc. Later Chairman of the 2nd State Finance Commission Siricilla Rajaiah along with the members of the commission held discussions with the 16th Finance Commission members. Member Secretary SFC Smitha Sabharwal made a power point presentation of the activities of the Commission.
Chairman and Members of the 16th Finance Commission also interacted with several Trade bodies like FICCI, CII etc. Members of various trade bodies sought for change in criteria devolution which should incentivise a performing state. They also sought the intervention of the Finance Commission through a special fund for revival of industries which have turned sick during Covid. Later the Finance Commission members held a meeting with the representatives of various political parties S Rajaiah, T Rammohan Reddy from Indian National Congress, Etala Rajender, Kasam Venkateswarlu, Prakash Reddy from BJP, T Harish Rao, Palla Rajeshwar Reddy and Vivekananda from BRS, Nandyala Narasimha Reddy from CPM, Sama Bhupal Reddy and Durga Prasad from TDP, Janathkumar and B Eshwar from BSP, Akbaruddin Owaisi, Syed Amin Jaffrey, Balala from AIMIM, Sudhakar, Burra Renu Goud, Abbas Ahmed from AAP participated in the meeting.
Special Chief Secretary Finance K Ramakrishna Rao, Special Secretary Finance Krishna Bhaskar and other senior officials from Finance department attended the meeting.