Non-BJP States Losing Out, Says TMC, to Rally Opposition Against 15th Finance Commission

New Delhi: Accusing the Centre of going against the federal structure of the Constitution in financial devolution, the Trinamool Congress on Monday said it will try to rally the opposition against the 15th Finance Commission as many states not ruled by the BJP were "losing out".

TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee would raise the issue during her meeting with the DMK leadership in Chennai on April 10-11, TMC leader Derek O'Brien said.

She would meet DMK supremo M Karunanidhi and M K Stalin during her two-day visit to Chennai.

"This Commission is anti-federal. States are losing out. States like Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu are been penalised and states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan are being awarded. Mamata Banerjee is reaching out to other parties, this will become a very important reference point for us. Next Tuesday she will raise the issue with the DMK leadership at Chennai," O' Brien told reporters here.

After the issue of no-confidence motion united the opposition in Parliament, the 15th Finance Commission cold once again bring them on one platform against the NDA government.

TMC leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay and O'Brien would meet TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu in Delhi on Tuesday and are expected to take up the matter.

The Finance Commission, which has been authorised to decide on the percentage of financial devolution and grants-in-aid, taking the 2011 Census as the basis for central assistance, would also decide increase in Goods and Services Tax (GST) and a decrease in subsidies for programmes meant for the poor.

The opposition party has also accused the commission of "unilaterally" adopting the 2011 census without consulting the state governments.

"States like Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh will loose Rs 20,000 crores over a period of five years and states which are been ruled by the BJP, like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh would, gain. The government didn't even consult a single state government. There was no inter-state council meeting during NDA government", O'Brien said.

The opposition parties are likely to raise the issue to corner the government in the remaining days of the session in Parliament.