KOCHI: The 15th Finance Commission has become an instrument in the hands of the Union Government to restrict the independent functioning of the states, says Finance Minister Thomas Isaac. The states are finding it difficult to even avail of loans due to the intervention of the Commission, he said while delivering the keynote address at a seminar held in Kochi on Saturday on ‘25 years of Globalisation’ held as part of the 23rd party congress of the CPI.
He said the Union government has not given Rs 1,20,000 crore due to states as part of the GST. A meeting of the finance minister of the south Indian states has been convened to discuss these issues and find alternatives, he added. Speaking after inaugurating the seminar, CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran said the Central governments, instead of protecting the interests of the people, have been protecting the interests of the capitalists.
Detailing several pro-corporate steps taken by the successive governments for the past 25 years, he said the decision to do away with the concept of permanent employment is the latest in the series. Kerala State Planning Board member Dr Ravi Raman, director of Joshi Adhikar Institute of Social Sciences Dr Jaya Mehta and others addressed the seminar.
