Incentives to states undertaking population control: PM Modi in TN

Chennai: After southern states raised concerns over the 15th Finance Commission’s Terms of Reference (ToR), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the commission has been directed to consider incentivising the states undertaking measures to implement population control.

The Prime Minister also refuted the allegations levelled against the Centre of being biased against certain states or a particular region and termed them as ‘baseless’.

"The Union Government has suggested to the Finance Commission to consider incentivising states who have worked on population control. Thus, a state like Tamil Nadu, which has devoted a lot of effort, energy and resources towards population control would certainly benefit," Modi said at the inaugural function of the Diamond Jubilee building of a Cancer Institute in Chennai.

On Tuesday, the finance ministers of three southern states and one Union Territory highlighted loopholes in the ToRs prescribed by the 15th Finance Commission for allocation of funds to states.

At a conclave of finance ministers of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry, the ministers argued that with the present guidelines in place, states with higher population would be entitled to a larger share of tax resources, while those that undertook measures for population control would incur losses.

They also demanded an increase in power to state governments, as they were primarily responsible for undertaking developmental activities.

(With ANI inputs)