The Odisha government has formed the 6th State Finance Commission, with a new chairman and four members appointed to oversee the distribution of state taxes and duties. The Finance Department issued a notification today confirming the establishment of the commission.
1984 batch Retired IAS officer Arun Kumar Panda has been appointed as the chairman of the 6th State Finance Commission. Alongside him, three prominent academics have been selected as members: Prof. Asit Ranjan Mohanty of XIMB, Prof. Amaresh Samantray from Pondicherry University’s Department of Economics, and Dr. Bibhu Prasad Nayak, a professor at TISS.
In accordance with the Constitution of India, under Articles 243-I and 243-Y, and Sections 3 and 8 of the Odisha Finance Commission (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1993, the Governor of Odisha constituted the commission to address financial allocations.
The commission’s member secretary will be Dr. Satya Priya Rath, an IAS officer and Additional Secretary in the Finance Department.
The commission’s tenure is set for six months, during which time it will make recommendations on the equitable distribution of taxes, duties, tolls, and fees between the Odisha government, Panchayati Raj institutions, and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
This new commission is expected to play a crucial role in the effective financial decentralization in Odisha, ensuring proper allocation of resources to various local bodies.
