Questionnaire on Union-State relations: Stalin seeks support from Chief Ministers, political leaders

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin on Friday called upon his counterparts in other States and leaders of various political parties to examine a questionnaire prepared by the State government-constituted high-level committee on Union–State relations and provide responses. The questionnaire could be accessed at https://hlcusr.tn.gov.in.

“Your active participation will be invaluable in shaping a document that reflects the collective will of all States, and in reinforcing the federal foundations of our nation. This endeavour rises above politics and partisanship. Together, let us renew the federal spirit of our Constitution and bequeath to future generations a Union that is both strong and just, both united and truly federal,” Mr. Stalin said.

The Constitution drew significantly from the Government of India Act, 1935 and created a federal framework, with a fine balance of power between the Union and the States, he said and added: “However, over the years this balance has been continuously altered. A strong Union and strong States are not contradictory but complementary - each deriving strength from the other.”

Recalling the positions taken by late DMK leaders and former Chief Ministers C.N. Annadurai and M. Karunanidhi over the Union-State relations, Mr. Stalin said: “Meanwhile, successive constitutional amendments, Union legislations, and central policies have gradually tilted the delicate balance of powers in favour of the Union.”

Large Ministries existed at the Union-level that “duplicated State functions and influence or even dictated State priorities through conditionalities” attached to Finance Commission grants, Mr. Stalin said. He also referred to “one-size-fits-all guidelines” for Centrally Sponsored Schemes, mandatory work-by-work approvals, and intrusive micromanagement of implementation, among others.

“Today, we stand at a defining moment. The need of the hour is to reassess these developments and create a future framework that strengthens true federalism,” Mr. Stalin said. The Tamil Nadu government had constituted a high-level committee on Union–State Relations with retired Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph as its chairperson. Retired IAS officer K. Ashok Vardhan Shetty and former State Planning Commission vice-chairperson M. Naganathan are its members.

The committee has prepared a questionnaire to seek the views of all States and Union territories to guide its work. During a national seminar on Union–State relations, the Chief Minister inaugurated the portal on August 23.