Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday stressed the need for greater cooperation between central and the state governments so that any differences can be swiftly resolved. Addressing the 12th meeting of the standing committee of Inter-State Council (ISC) here, he said that a number of steps have been taken in recent years by the central government to promote cooperative federalism. Singh said it is important for everyone to promote the spirit of cooperation with greater zeal and expressed satisfaction over the deliberations held on Saturday in a “harmonious and congenial” atmosphere for arriving at a consensus on complex issues. The home minister said the standing committee of the Inter-State Council is being periodically convened to lend speed and purpose to the process of harmonising Centre-state relations. Singh said Volumes I & II of the Punchhi Commission’s report on Centre-state relations were discussed during the 11th meeting of the standing committee in April this year and Volumes VI and VII will be discussed during the next meeting. The Punchhi Commission was set up under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd) Madan Mohan Punchhi, former Chief Justice of India, in 2005 to look into issues of Centre-state relations keeping in view the changes in the polity and economy of India since the Sarkaria Commission. Meanwhile, Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje suggested that the Centre should bear the entire additional financial burden on the state for implementing Centre sponsored schemes, officials said.
