Question : Provision of Special Status to States

(a) whether the Fifteenth Finance Commission (15th FC) is contemplating some new methodology for providing special status to some States including Odisha and if so, the details such as criterion thereof;
(b) the number of meetings been conducted by the 15th FC so far and the progress made so far;
(c) the names of the States which have been demanding the special status and the details of their demands including Odisha and Bihar, State-wise;
(d) the names of States which have been declared as special category States as on today and the reason for not declaring those States the special status as demanded by them; and
(e) whether the 15th FC plans to eliminate the post-devolution revenue deficit grants to the States, if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE
(SHRI SHIV PRATAP SHUKLA)

(a) and (b) The Fifteenth Finance Commission Constituted on 27th November 2017 has been mandated to gives its recommendation on the basis of terms of references assigns to it for the period from 1st April, 2020 to 31st March, 2025. The commission has so far conducted 10 internal meetings.
(c) In recent past, the Central Government has received requests for Special Category Status from States such as Odisha, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh.
(d) The Fourteenth Finance Commission has not made any distinction between special and general category states, and the status of special category state does not exist today. Hence, the question of declaring some of the States as special category States does not arise.
(e) The Fifteenth Finance Commission has been inter-alia mandated to examine the provision of revenue deficit grants.

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