Bhubaneswar: The sixth State Finance Commission (SFC) of Odisha Wednesday submitted its final report to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, recommending the formation of a strong financial foundation in the grassroots level in the state.
The commission, headed by retired IAS officer, Dr Arun Kumar Panda, met the chief minister along with SFC members Prof Asit Ranjan Mohanty and Dr Bibhu Prasad Nayak and others. The panel has already delivered its report to Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati January 21.
“The Report submitted by the Commission places emphasis on strengthening the fiscal foundations of local bodies through a predictable and formula-based system. Special attention has been given to equity considerations, regional disparities, and the differentiated needs of rural and urban local governments,” a CMO statement said.
The panel has also made both financial and non-financial recommendations for the overall development of local bodies.
The Commission was mandated to recommend the principles that would govern the distribution between the state government and the 3-tier panchayati raj institutions and urban local bodies, the net proceeds of taxes, duties, tolls and fees leviable by the State, and the allocation amongst PRIs and ULBs of their respective shares of such proceeds, and to recommend the measures needed to improve the financial position of PRIs and ULBs.
On the occasion, the chief minister has also launched the “SAMIKSHYA” portal, which provides facility for real-time information on progress of execution of projects funded under State Finance Commission (SFC) and Central Finance Commission (CFC) grants such as roads, drinking water supply, sanitation, street lighting, parks, and public utilities.
Anyone can monitor the progress of execution of projects by accessing the portal online through samikshya.odisha.gov.in.
Presiding over the meeting, Majhi directed officials to focus on improving the state’s economic indicators, transforming the structure at the panchayat level, enhancing the quality of life for the people, and upgrading conditions in every village and urban area. He stressed the need to build a strong foundation for a prosperous Odisha.
The State Finance Commission was constituted January 22, 2025.
PTI
