Editorial
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| | Poor states, rich Centre | | A multi-tier federal system of governance is answer to most of the country’s problems | | Punjab chief minister Prakash Singh Badal’s request to the Centre seeking Rs 2,380 crore relief package to deal with the crisis caused due to draught again brings to focus the states increasing dependence on the Centre. On the other hand his son and state’s deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has accused the Centre of discriminating against non-Congress ruled states in respect of sanctioning central assistance in the case of such eventualities. This is not the first time that any state has knocked the doors of the Centre with a begging bowl seeking funds to bail it out of the fiscal crisis or urging it to come to its rescue by providing relief in the case of natural tragedies or other exigencies. Again Punjab is not the only state accusing New Delhi of discriminating against the non-Congress ruled states. The states are increasingly complaining about the financial constraints caused due to the highly centralized system of polity and governance. Most of these problems are due to the Centre’s attitude in usurping the powers and authority of the states and making them dependent in all matters like power, socio-economic development and even the law and order, subjects which come under the state list of the Constitution. Instead of making them equal partners in a federal set up the states have been virtually reduced to the status of clients, always looking towards the Centre for financial or other help.
Most of the country’s problems are due to the failure of the framers of the Constitution to opt for a fully multi-tier federa system of polity and governance. The Congress, which assumed power after independence, had in its resolution on the eve of the launching of historic “Quit India “ movement has unambiguously declared that free India would be a federal state with the federating units enjoying full autonomy, Centre dealing with only defence, foreign affairs and communications. Even the residuary powers, it promised, would be left with the states. But unfortunately the country opted for a quasi-federal constitution, tilting towards the Centre. That has been the bane of most of the problems and frequent tensions between the Centre and the states. This is also the main reason why the states have not become self-reliant. During the years the states powers and authority have been further eroded, overtly as well as covertly. The concurrent list of the Constitution has virtually been usurped by the Centre which is even encroaching upon the matters under the central list. The centralized system of governance and planning has left the states totally dependent on the Centre for all matters. Years ago Jayaprakah Narayan, while emphasizing the need for democratic decentralization for people’s empowerment at grass root level had lamented that the states have been practically reduced to the level of municipalities. Since then the Centre has further eroded whatever autonomy the states enjoyed in the Union. Sarkaria Commission had gone into various aspects of the Centre-state relations but it only recommended a few cosmetic measure to set things right. Even those recommendations have not been implemented.
Apart from the allocation of resources the appointment and role of governors, who in most cases act as Centre’s agents, deployment of central police forces, imposition of President’s rule, Centre’s increasing interference in states affairs are some of the main irritants in the Centre-state ties. Governors are increasingly becoming constitutional redundancies, perceived to be functioning at the behest of the Centre. Obviously all is not well with the present quasi-federal system. Only a genuine multi-tier system of federal polity and governance is the answer to most of the problems and takes into account the concept of unity in diversity. The federal set up, however, should not end at the state level but needs to percolate to the lower tiers at the regional, district, block and panchayat levels. While the Constitution calls for a review with structural arrangements and well-defined norms and procedures embodied in it. The need for a “grass root paramount federation” is the need of the hour. |
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