Kerala, West Bengal flag need for better Centre-state cooperation

Chhattisgarh

Modi praised the Godhan Nyay Yojana initiated by the Congress-led government in Chhattisgarh, saying the scheme is in the interest of farmers as vermi-compost prepared from cow dung helps in increasing productivity of the field.

Addressing the meeting, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel suggested that MGNREGA should be implemented in rural areas located near cities and cities with population of less than 20,000. He reiterated the state’s demand of GST compensation, transferring of the amounts collected as ‘additional levy’ from coal block companies and reimbursement of expenditure of Rs 11,828 crore made by the state government for eradication of Left Wing Extremism. The GST compensation grant should be continued for the next five years, he said.

Kerala

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the Union government needs to address challenges of cooperative federalism.

He said legislation on subjects in the Concurrent List should be initiated only after adequate consultation with states, and the Centre should desist from making legislation on items in the State List.

Referring to the June 3 Supreme Court verdict, which made one km of eco-sensitive zone mandatory for all protected forest tracts, the Chief Minister said the Centre should have legal remedies in this regard.

He also sought completion of national highway development in the state in a time-bound manner.

West Bengal

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday emphasised that the Centre should look into the demands of the state governments “more seriously” and no policies should be forced on them.

She stressed that there should be a “greater cooperation” between the Centre and the states. Banerjee also said that state governments should not be pressurised to implement the National Education Policy.

Haryana

Urging the Union government to promote natural farming in the country, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar narrated how his state’s per-capita income is the highest among the major states of the country.

Khattar assured NITI Aayog cooperation of the state “in achieving the target of India becoming a $ 5 trillion economy”.

“Despite being a small state Haryana has made a significant contribution to the country’s economy. Per capita income of Haryana is Rs 2,74,635, which is highest among the major states. Haryana is also included in the leading states of the country on the parameters of economic development…,” he said.

Punjab

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann presented the case of farmers of the state by underlining the need for making Minimum Support Price (MSP) a legal guarantee and ensuring foolproof marketing system for alternative crops.

He said that as agriculture is no longer a profitable venture so farmers are facing a serious crisis. Mann said that all out efforts must be made to bail out the farmers from this situation for which the Union government must step in.

Maharashtra

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday emphasised reforms for ushering in greater transparency and accountability in functioning in urban local bodies. Under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the state government will launch an integrated web portal as a single delivery platform for all notified micro-municipal services of the urban local bodies on August 15.

Shinde also highlighted the steps taken by the state for the implementation of the National Education Policy and said that his government was fully committed to the effective rollout of this education policy.

Rajasthan

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot reiterated the state’s demand for declaring Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) as a national project.

Gehlot also said the change in financial participation pattern of centrally sponsored schemes has led to additional burden on the states. He also said the Centre should extend the period of GST compensation by five years from June 2022 to June 2027 and that about Rs 3,780 crore of GST compensation, which is still pending with the Centre, should also be released to the state.

Uttar Pradesh

Reiterating his government’s resolve to make Uttar Pradesh a $1 trillion (Rs 80 lakh crore) economy in the next three years, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday credited PM Modi’s guidance and leadership for the “success of the state”.

Adityanath said that his government was working in a planned manner towards achieving the “challenging” goal of making Uttar Pradesh a $1 trillion (Rs 80 lakh crore) economy with a “focus on making the state’s infrastructure world-class”.

The CM added that the work of the GIS survey in 17 municipal corporations was in progress to improve the financial condition of the municipal bodies, due to which doubling of house tax is possible by the end of this financial year.