CHENNAI: The Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), comprising 72 former civil servants, on Saturday urged Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to restore the high-level committee on union-state relations headed by former Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph, which the TVK-led government had disbanded on November 6, and allow it to complete its report.
“We trust that your government will affirm its commitment to a strong federal democracy, with devolution of powers to local government institutions. Restoring the remit of the committee to complete its task of bringing out Part II of the report will be a welcome step in this direction,” the CCG said in its open letter to the CM. The letter was signed by the 72 former officers.
Further, the group wondered whether the state government is reluctant to displease the union government and the ruling party at the centre. It alleged that the centre’s centralising policies, constitutional changes, conditional fiscal transfers and rigidly structured centrally sponsored schemes have eroded states’ financial and administrative autonomy, tilting the federal balance in the union’s favour.
The group also pointed out that the committee had already submitted Part I of its report in February and was working towards completing Part II.
