Mr. President, Sir, I have come here to protest very strongly against the two amendments which have been moved by my Friends Mr. Kamath and Mr. Saksena. I submit, Sir, that the amended article 260 is being hailed by people who suffer under a sense of injustice being done to them in the past and who hail this amended article 260 because it has reduced the period from five years to two years and also in the subsequent stages to a period shorter than five years. Sir, it follows therefore that if you have really a desire to do justice to the more unfortunate provinces, you should do so as early as possible and as quickly as possible. Therefore the provision in article 260 which enables the President to deal with the recommendations made by the Finance Commission is a very welcome one. If you leave it to be decided by Parliament it will necessarily mean that both Houses of Parliament would have to consider it. If the amendment which has been put forward by Mr. Saksena is accepted, then it will be enough if the Lower House puts its seal to it; but then it would mean delay and it would mean also that if the matter entirely rests on the vote of the House of Parliament, then the question of each province fighting for its own share or more than its own share will arise, and those provinces that have a more potent voice will get more than they deserve in some and will deprive other provinces which deserve more. Therefore, both on the ground of quick meting out of justice and also on the ground of having better justice. I think it is certainly very welcome that a decision will be made by the President as early as possible and communicate the some to the Legislature. I do not mind if the decision is accompanied, as my Friend Mr. Kamath desires, by an explanatory note or not. But, since it is the desire of Mr. Kamath that an explanatory note may be given so that he may find scope for criticism, that note may be furnished. That will not harm us in any way. But what I would like to say on behalf of the poorer provinces that are labouring under a sense of injustice so far as finances are concerned-that injustice was not done by the present regime, but by the previous one – is that we all welcome article 261 remaining as it is.
