Bhubaneswar: A team of the 15th Finance Commission led by its Chairman NK Singh arrived here on a five-day visit to Odisha on Monday.
During the tour, the team would gather feedback from the State for making recommendations to the Centre on allocation of funds. Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera welcomed the team at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here.
The team will formally start discussion and meeting with all stakeholders from Tuesday.
As per the programme, the finance panel team will meet Panchayati Raj Institute members and Urban Local Body representatives at 2 pm followed by meeting with industry bodies, chamber of commerce at 3 pm and meeting with political parties at 4 pm on Tuesday. Later in the evening they will witness a cultural programme.
On January 9, the team members will meet Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, and other Ministers at 9.30 am. The State Government will submit a memorandum to the Commission chairman during the meeting. The team members will also have their lunch with the Chief Minister at 1 pm.
They will address a press conference at 2.30 pm on the same day. All the programmes will be held at Hotel Mayfair.
On January 10, the team will leave for Puri and from there they will visit Chilika to review the works undertaken by the Chilka Development Authority (CDA) as well as Wet Land Research Centre.
The Commission will undertake field visits to take stock of the State Government’s poverty eradication programme like Odisha Livelihood Mission (OLM), Self Health Groups (SHGs), drinking water projects, cyclone shelters, and other development projects of the State Government.
Odisha is the 15th State in the country that this Commission visited.
The Commission is a statutory body constituted every five years to devise a formula for allocation of net central tax proceeds between the Centre and States.
After visiting all the State, it will give its recommendations to the Centre for devolution of taxes and other fiscal matters for five years commencing on 1 April 2020.
