CHENNAI :While thanking Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for releasing Rs 1390.04 crore as second instalment of Basic Grant of 14th Finance Commission for 2017-18, Tamil Nadu Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development SP Velumani on Thursday urged the Centre to release Rs 2,168.18 crore due to the State under the heads of performance grant for local bodies and first instalment of Finance Commission Basic Grant for the current financial year.
Velumani, accompanied by cabinet colleague P Thangamani (Electricity minister) called on Arun Jaitley in Delhi on Thursday and submitted a memorandum regarding release of funds.
I bring to your notice that an amount of Rs 560.15 crore is due for both Urban and Rural local bodies in the State towards the performance grant for the year 2017-18. Also an amount of Rs 1608.03 crore is due for both urban and rural local bodies as first instalment of 14th Central Finance Commission Basic Grant for the year 2018-19. These amounts may be released to the State so as to benefit the people of the State,” he urged.
The minister thanked the Union Finance Minister for releasing Rs 1390.04 crore as second instalment of Basic Grant of 14th Central Finance Commission for 2017-18 for both urban and rural local bodies.
He noted that the release of funds has paved the way for providing quality services to the people of TN and helped local bodies in discharging their basic duties and civic functions effectively.
Velumani also submitted a memorandum to the Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Mines Narendra Singh Tomar seeking release of Rs 194.78 crore due for the rural civic bodies towards performance grant for the last financial year and Rs 876.94 crore as first instalment of Basic Grant of 14th Central Finance Commission for the current year.
Extend industrial corridor
Municipal administration minister SP Velumani who met Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi on Thursday requested her to extend the Bengaluru-Mumbai Industrial corridor to Coimbatore. “It is one of the fastest growing tier-II cities in India and a major industrial hub in South India. Hence, I request that Coimbatore may also be included in the list of 10 cities, which are being selected for development as World Class Cities,” he said in a letter addressed to her.