(From left) Former president of Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee Anil Sharma, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi and JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary at the meeting in Patna on Saturday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Nov. 16: State parties came together to provide suggestions for a “memorandum” to the 14th Finance Commission (2015-20) seeking devolution of funds for Bihar’s all-round development.

Asian Development Research Institute (Adri) on Saturday brought the ruling JD(U), BJP, RJD, Congress, CPI, CPM, BSP and RLSP together. University teachers, Bihar Industries Association, Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industries, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry and industrial groups also attended. They discussed the joint memorandum Adri has to submit to the 14th Finance Commission. The state can submit its own demands in a memorandum.

Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said the 14th Finance Commission should devolve 50 per cent taxes (32.5 per cent now) from central pool to the states. He requested water resources minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, who would represent the state at the meeting of empowered committee of state finance ministers, to put pressure on the Centre. He said the panel should allocate Rs 4 lakh crore (it is doubled every five years) to the state in 14th Finance Commission. Bihar was allocated Rs 1.72 lakh crore in last Finance Commission. Modi also pitched for a share in the income from non-tax receipts (like spectrum sale), cess and surcharge. There should also be provision for a separate 4 per cent share of central taxes for urban and local bodies and panchayati raj institions, he said.

For the JD(U), water resources minister Vijay Chaudhary said there should be a special focus on undoing damage caused by floods. He also emphasised that the practice of adopting 1971 as the base year must be done away with, as 2011 figures are now available.

Former Bihar Congress chief Anil Sharma said there was no point in holding discussion with the panel unless terms of reference are changed.

Sarvoday Sharma (CPM), Abhayanand Suman of RLSP, Manikant Pathak of SUCI (C), U.N. Mishra (CPI), Ashok Kumar Sinha (RJD) attended. Industry was represented by PHDCCI state unit chairman Satyajeet Singh, BIA president Arun Agrawal, Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industries president P.K. Agrawal and ICC director Kamal Shahi.