BHUBANESWAR: With the State Government joining the chorus with Southern States in opposing the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the 15th Finance Commission, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said Odisha should not be apprehensive of the performance-oriented parameters set by the panel.
Making an appeal to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik not to politicise the issue, Pradhan said, States including Odisha performing better in achieving population stabilisation will, in fact, get more benefits from the 15th Finance Commission.
In a recent letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister had taken objection to the Finance Commission asking States to use 2011 census data as against the earlier practice of using 1971 data for determination of a State's share in the divisible pool.
"The Prime Minister and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley have already dispelled the apprehension made by certain States or a particular region saying that the allegation being made about the ToR of the 15th Finance Commission is baseless biased," Pradhan said.
Besides, Jaitely has also clarified that the 14th Fiance Commission allocated 10 percent weight to 2011 census data to capture the demographic changes since 1971 for a realistic assessment of the needs of the States, he said.
"The State Government's objection to the New India initiatives of the Prime Minister is without any logic as it aims at providing pucca houses to all, pipe water supply to all households, all-weather road connectivity and electricity to all villages," Pradhan added.