CHENNAI: Assembly Speaker M Appavu on Friday strongly pitched for strengthening federalism and granting states greater fiscal autonomy while addressing the 11th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association India Region Conference in Bengaluru.
Appavu said healthy union-state relations are central to India’s constitutional framework. Quoting former CM M Karunanidhi’s dictum “Federalism in the union, autonomy in the states,” he said recent moves by the centre had eroded state powers.
“Subjects including minerals, fisheries and cooperatives have been taken away from states through administrative orders without constitutional amendments. This is a massive setback for federal autonomy,” he said.
Citing the GST regime, Appavu recalled PM Narendra Modi’s own apprehensions as Gujarat CM and argued that the present framework has left states financially constrained. “Either states should be granted complete financial autonomy or their GST share must be enhanced to 75%,” he urged.
Appavu also criticised delays in gubernatorial assent to bills and welcomed the Supreme Court’s recent ruling fixing time limits for such approvals.