The Hindu : Front Page : State Government urges Centre to rewrite Constitution afresh

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Sunday, Jan 21, 2007
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State Government urges Centre to rewrite Constitution afresh

Special Correspondent

Seeks amendments to ensure that power to levy service tax is with States

— Photo: DIPR

CUSTOMARY ADDRESS: Governor Surjit Singh Barnala addressing the Assembly session on Saturday.

CHENNAI: The State Government has urged the Centre to rewrite the Constitution afresh "having regard to the changing needs, while preserving the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the nation."

In his customary address at the opening of the new session of the Assembly on Saturday, Governor Surjit Singh Barnala said: "In the evolution of mankind, change is inevitable.

In several countries, the Constitutions have been rewritten many a time. In the last 50 years, our political, social and economic facets and the needs of the working class have radically changed.

Today, people belonging to the Backward, Most Backward, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes have been forced to do tightrope walking to defend their hard-won rights. The need for transfer of more powers to the States by reviewing the division of powers between the States and the Union, to ensure that true and wholesome federalism prevails and the wheels of social justice revolve without any hindrance, is increasing day by day."

In this context, Mr. Barnala referred to the nearly 100 amendments to the Constitution and noted that even 40 years ago former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai had observed that "the time has come for rethinking, reappraisal and revaluation."

Noting that the powers of taxation are "mostly" with the Centre while the responsibility of delivering basic services "rests with the States," the State Government urged the Centre to "bring forward necessary constitutional amendments" to ensure that the power to levy service tax is with the States.

Mr. Barnala also said that the Centre should "expeditiously" enact the Bill to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and wanted the Centre to implement reservation in private sector establishments. The Government wanted a peaceful political solution in Sri Lanka through dialogue.

Welfare boards

The Government has decided to establish a separate welfare board for domestic workers, "who at present do not have even a modicum of social security." Another board would be set up for providing social security to the disabled.

It will also establish a welfare board for fishermen on the lines of the board for agricultural labourers. As many as 11 welfare boards had started functioning so far and the benefits amounting to Rs. 19.77 crore have been provided to 84,116 unorganised labourers.

Mr. Barnala said that the Government was determined to ensure abolition of manual scavenging. A scheme to provide income-generating alternative employment for those involved in manual scavenging has been formulated on an outlay of Rs. 58.45 crore. The Rs. 717-crore `Vaazhndhu Kattuvom' scheme for the development of the most disadvantaged sections will be implemented in 70 blocks in the next 12 months. It is now being implemented in one block each in 15 districts.

Plan size

The Government would strive to double the size of the next five-year plan to Rs. 80,000 crore and has as its objective achieving an average annual growth rate of nine per cent during the plan period.

Speaker R. Avudaiappan read out the Tamil version of the address.

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