'50% share in central taxes, step-motherly treatment': What issues non-BJP states raised at Niti Aayog meet with PM Modi

NEW DELHI: From 50% share in central taxes to solving water disputes, non-Bharatiya Janata Party states presented a myriad demands at the Niti Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. This year’s meeting centered on the theme ‘Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat@2047’, highlighting the crucial role of states in driving India’s transformation into a developed nation by 2047, according to a press release from Niti Aayog.Additionally, PM Modi categorically pressed upon the importance for a Centre-state cooperation for a developed nation. "If Centre and states work together like Team India, no goal is impossible," he said.The non-BJP states that attended the meeting include Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Punjab. States like West Bengal, Kerala and Karnataka skipped the meeting.Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin has demanded 50% share of states in central taxes and urged the Union government to release Rs 2,200 crore in pending funds under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), withheld because the state had not signed a MoU with the Union education ministry for the "PM Shri" scheme. "Particularly, nearly Rs 2,200 crore of Union funds have been denied to Tamil Nadu in the year 2024-2025. This affects the education of children studying in government schools and children studying under Right to Education Act ( RTE). Therefore, I urge you to release this fund without delay and without insisting on unilateral conditions," he said addressing the meeting."It is not ideal for the cooperative federal structure that states should be given funds after a legal battle. This will affect the development of the state and nation, as well," he added.Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann accused the central government of meeting out a "step motherly" treatment to the state and warned against "discriminatory treatment".Amid the ongoing dispute over water sharing, the chief minister emphasized that given the state's worsening water crisis, constructing a Yamuna-Sutlej-Link (YSL) canal should be considered as an alternative to the Satluj-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.He said that Punjab has repeatedly sought inclusion in negotiations over Yamuna water allocation, citing a 1954 agreement with Uttar Pradesh that granted the erstwhile Punjab two-thirds of the Yamuna waters. He noted the agreement didn’t specify irrigation areas and pointed out that, unlike the Ravi and Beas rivers, Yamuna waters were not considered during the Punjab-Haryana reorganization, despite the river originally flowing through Punjab. He raised concerns over the deployment of CISF personnel at the Bhakra Nangal Dam, stating that security has traditionally been managed by the respective states. He criticized the ministry of power’s decision to involve the CISF as unnecessary and disruptive to an effective existing system, arguing it undermines Punjab’s rights over the dams. He urged that the decision be revoked immediately.Telangana chief ministers A Revanth Reddy proposed the formation of a national task force, led by the prime minister and comprising the chief ministers of key states, to unlock the full economic potential of India’s six major metropolitan cities—Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, and Hyderabad. Addressing the Niti Aayog governing council in Delhi, he stressed the need to acknowledge the critical economic role these cities play in the nation's growth."To harness their full potential, there is a pressing need to establish a national-level task force under the leadership of the Prime Minister and the respective chief ministers. This task force must focus on comprehensive urban development, infrastructure investment, and governance reforms specific to these metros," Reddy said.Reddy, the first Telangana CM in several years to attend the Niti Aayog governing council meeting, outlined the state’s ‘Telangana Rising 2047’ vision, positioning it as Telangana’s contribution to the broader national goal of building a 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India).