Chennai, 18 February (H.S.) : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin officially tabled the first part of a high-level committee report on Union-State relations in the State Assembly on Wednesday.

This significant move reinforces the DMK government’s long-standing demand for enhanced state autonomy and a more robust federal structure. The committee, led by retired Supreme Court Judge Justice Kurian Joseph along with former bureaucrats K. Ashok Vardhan Shetty and M. Naganathan, originally submitted its findings to the Chief Minister on Monday.

While addressing the House, Chief Minister Stalin described the presentation as a pivotal step toward redefining the relationship between the Centre and the states. He criticized the Union government for centralizing authority and acting in an autocratic manner, which he claimed compels states to depend on the Centre for basic requirements.

Stalin highlighted that the BJP-led Union government has been shifting subjects from the State List to the Concurrent List, effectively eroding the constitutional rights of individual states. He noted that even economically developed states are receiving reduced shares of central funds despite their significant contributions to national revenue.

Asserting the importance of the initiative, the Chief Minister stated that the report aims to offer a structured solution to current power imbalances. He urged political parties across the country to adopt state autonomy as a guiding principle to ensure that all cultures and languages thrive within a truly federal framework.

Stalin concluded by emphasizing that the state must take the initiative to amend the Constitution to ensure state governments are vested with all necessary powers to serve their people effectively.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary