Modi government acting against federal structure, Trinamool MPs tell President

Kolkata: A ten-member team of Trinamool Congress MPs on Tuesday called on President Pranab Mukherjee here and complained about the Narendra Modi government "acting against" the country's federal structure.

"Our main aim was to apprise the honourable president about the centre entering into the domain of the states, which is inimical to the country's federal structure," Trinamool parliamentary party leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay, who spearheaded the delegation, told media persons after emerging from the meeting.

Bandyopadhyay accused the central government of dictating terms on implementation of schemes to the states, as also the financial matters pertaining to them.

"Earlier, the centre used to provide full funds for the central schemes. But now the states have been ordered to bear 40 per cent of the expenses. Again, the centre is taking unilateral decisions on the amount of money to be spent as also the nomenclature of the schemes," he said.

Bandyopadhyay alleged that the Planning Commission was the platform where the states could interact with the centre on allocation of funds for the schemes. "But now, the Planning Commission has been dissolved, and the NITI Ayog has been set up," he said.

He also accused the Modi government of trying to monitor the state treasury - a charge earlier levelled by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday.

Calling the attempt as "unprecedented and unbelievable", Bandyopadhyay charged the central government with efforts to "unilaterally rule" over the states.

"They are taking decisions on development projects without bothering to consult the states at any level," he said.