Panel on Centre-State relations to have a camp office in Delhi

The committee to review Centre-State relations, constituted by the Tamil Nadu government, will have a camp office in Delhi at the residence its chairperson, retired Supreme Court judge Justice Kurian Joseph. The State government has already issued orders and sanctioned staff and amenities for the high-level committee.

According to a Government Order (G.O.) issued by the Public Department, its Secretary has been designated as the nodal officer in the government and single point of contact for the Committee. Last month, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced that a three-member high-level committee would be constituted to review Centre-State relations. K. Ashok Vardhan Shetty, retired IAS officer and former Vice-Chancellor of the Indian Maritime University, and M. Naganathan, former Vice-Chairman of the State Planning Commission, are the other members.

The committee is expected to submit its interim report by January 2026, and the final report within two years. The mandate of the high-level committee includes reviewing the Constitutional provisions, laws, rules, and policies with respect to Centre-State relations; recommending ways to restore subjects moved from the State List to the Concurrent List; proposing measures for States to overcome administrative challenges; and suggesting reforms to ensure maximum autonomy to States without compromising the unity and integrity of the nation.

The committee will also consider the recommendations of the Rajamannar Committee and subsequent commissions formed by the Union government on Centre-State relations in light of current political, social, and economic developments.