RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Nov.23: Academic and constitutional experts from different parts of the country today deliberated on various topics related to ‘centre-state relationship’ during a daylong national conference on the subject organised at Jharkhand assembly hall. The programme was a part of celebration of 22nd foundation day of the Jharkhand Assembly.
During the conference, the speakers shared their opinion for a strong centre and state relationship citing different constitutional laws and the Supreme Court judgments.
In his keynote address, assembly Speaker Ravindranath Mahato said that a healthy Centre-State relationship is important for the country’s stability, security and economic development. The events at the time of partition of the country prompted the Constituent Assembly to opt for federalism that leans slightly towards the centre, but states are also given powers in the constitution as an important instrument of progress and change.
Mahato said that there have been 105 amendments in the last seven decades since the Constitution came into force, many of which have had a direct impact on Centre-State relations.
He said that from time to time, Centre-State relations were tested and independent India saw a changing era of federalism. Many political historians and constitutional experts observed that the over-centralization of powers in the hands of the central government was one of the major reasons for the increasing conflicts between the centre and the states.
Many experts including Prof. Dilip Tirkey, Prof. Manoj Kumar Sinha, Prof. Anurag Das, Prof. A. Laxminath, Dr. Neeraj Kumar, Prof. Uday Shankar presented their views during the conference. The topics covered included judiciary on federalism, distribution of legislative powers between Center and States, Centre-State relations and its impact on good governance.
Though a very limited number of legislators was present during the programme, some of the serious legislators of the state were noticed in the conference. Prominent among those included Stephen Marandi, Amit Mandal, Lambodar Mahto among others.
