ISC Panel finalises recommendations of Punchhi Commission
BY TIOL News Service
NEW DELHI, MAY 25, 2018: The Standing Committee of the Inter-State Council (ISC) headed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at a meeting here today completed the onerous task of deliberations on all the 273 recommendations of the Punchhi Commission. Today's meeting was the 13 th meeting of the Standing Committee of the ISC.
In his opening remarks, while welcoming the members and participants, Mr Rajnath Singh recalled that during the previous two meetings of the Standing Committee of the ISC held last year thorough deliberations were held on the recommendations contained in Volumes II to V of the Punchhi Commission's Report. He informed the meeting that today's discussions will focus on the remaining two volumes i.e. VI & VII, that contained a total of 88 recommendations.
In today's meeting, the Standing Committee examined in detail various recommendations of the Punchhi Commission contained in these two volumes. The recommendations in Volume VI of the Punchhi Commission report are related to Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure and cover the subjects on (a) Environment; (b) Water; (c) Forests; (d) Minerals and (e) Infrastructure. The recommendations in Volume VII related to Socio-economic Development, Public Policy and Good Governance and cover the subjects on (a) Public Policy, Constitutional Governance and Public Administration; (b) Socio-political Developments and its Impact on Governance; (c) Basic Needs of People, Directive Principles and State Accountability, Centrally Sponsored Development Schemes and Federal Relations; (d) Migration, Human Development and Challenges to Constitutional Governance; and (e) Good Governance and Delivery of Public Services.
It may be noted that the Punchhi Commission notified in 2005 submitted its report in 2010. The recommendations of the Punchhi Commission, which are contained in seven Volumes pertain to History of Centre-State Relations in India; Constitutional Governance and Management of Centre-State Relations; Centre-State Financial Relations and Planning; Local Self-Governments and Decentralized Governance; Internal Security, Criminal Justice and Centre-State Cooperation; Environment, Natural Resources & Infrastructure; and Socio-Economic Development, Public Policy and Good Governance. The issues have been analysed in the Inter-State Council Secretariat. The 67 recommendations in Volume II on ‘Constitutional Governance and the Management of Centre-State Relations' of the report were considered by the Standing Committee in its 11 th meeting held on 9.4.2017. 118 recommendations contained in Volumes III, IV & V of the Punchhi Commission's Report were considered by the Standing Committee in its 12 th meeting held on 25.11.2017.
Today's meeting concluded successfully after over two hours of deliberations. In his concluding remarks, Mr Rajnath Singh expressed satisfaction that the Standing Committee of the ISC, over a series of meetings since 2017, has completed deliberations on all the 273 recommendations of the Punchhi Commission Report. These recommendations of the Standing Committee finalized in the earlier two meetings as well as in today's meeting will be placed before the Inter-State Council for decision. Mr Rajnath Singh expressed gratitude to his Cabinet colleagues as well as the Ministers from the States for their active participation and cooperation in the successful conclusion of the deliberations. With this, the work on Punchhi Commission Report, that had been pending for the last eight years, has been completed. It may be noted that the ISC meeting in 2016 was held after a gap of 10 years. Under the chairmanship of Mr Rajnath Singh, the institutions of ISC Standing Committee as well as Zonal Councils were rejuvenated and regular meetings held to promote harmonious Centre-State relations.
