Gujarat CM hails PM’s decision to increase state’s share in central taxes to 42%

Gandhinagar

Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel today hailed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unprecedented decision to hike the States’ share in Central taxes by 10 per cent from 32 per cent to 42 per cent.

Commenting on the historic decision, Mrs. Patel said the decision with far-reaching consequence would make progressive states like Gujarat stronger in their march to progress.

In accepting the 14th Finance Commission recommendation, she said that Mr. Modi has established the novel concept of ‘cooperative federalism’ enabling State Governments greater participation in the process of planning and development in lieu of following the Centre’s age-old practice of its trying to prove its supremacy over the States in the Centre-State relations.

With increased share from Central taxes at the states’ disposal, she said that Gujarat would plan its priorities as per the local needs, as on drinking water, public health, development schemes for ‘sagarkhedu’ in coastal regions and ‘vanbandhu’ in tribal areas, with ‘sauna sath; sauna vikas’, taking everybody along in the process of development.

Mrs. Patel lauded the Prime Minister’s other novel initiative of constituting NITI Ayog in lieu of Planning Commission to include Chief Ministers of different States to promote Centre-State relation more harmonious.

She thanked the Prime Minister for according adequate weight to Gujarat’s suggestions within two weeks of presentation at the NITI Ayog’s very first meeting on February 8 for increasing the States’ share in the Central taxes – a significant progressive step, indeed!

She expressed her gratitude to the Prime Minister and the Central Government for earmarking special funds at the disposal of panchayats, municipalities and municipal corporations. She exuded confidence that these slew of decisions would empower states to develop and contribute to the nation’s development, too.

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