CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has extended the term of its Sixth State Finance Commission by six more months - i.e up to December 31. The Commission, formed on March 6, 2020, was directed to submit its report by July 31, 2021. Now, it will submit its report by December 31.
An extraordinary notification issued on July 14 in this regard said Katharbatcha Muthuramalingam, MLA representing Ramanathapuram constituency has been appointed as a non-official member of the Commission. He replaced CV Sekar, former MLA representing Pattukottai constituency appointed when the Commission was formed last year.
The Commission's terms of reference include reviewing the financial position of the rural and urban local bodies - village panchayats, panchayat union councils, district panchayats, town panchayats, municipalities and municipal corporations and making recommendations. The Commission covers the period of five years commencing from April 1, 2022 and it will review the financial position of the local bodies as on March 31, 2020 based on the present reorganised status of local bodies.
The Commission will make recommendations on various subjects including - the measures needed to improve the financial position of the local bodies and identifying new avenues for resources mobilization, suggesting ways for strengthening the service delivery capacities of local body administration to enable them to effectively discharge the roles and responsibilities entrusted to them in the Constitution of India and the State Legislations.
The Commission will also suggest ways to avoid mounting unpaid bills of electricity charges, water charges, etc., and examining the possibility of providing devolution to Cantonment Boards from out of the Consolidated Fund of the State.