Sir, I have watched the Finance Department of the Government of India from 1925. It has always maintained its mood that it will give some charity to the provinces. They think that their primary responsibility is the defence of India, and not bringing about social and economic justice to the teeming millions of India after we have attained independence. Sir, this Expert Committee was appointed by you in accordance with the wishes of this House, so that their recommendations could be given effect to. But what is the attitude of the present Finance. Department? It goes on merrily with its colonial pattern expenditure, without realising its primary obligation to the people of India and without giving a share of the revenues -of India to the provinces so that they can develop the social and economic well-being of the people of India. Sir, I would have been happy if articles 249 to 260 had incorporated at least some of the recommendations of the Expert Committee Report. Sir, the attitude of the Finance Department has been the same since 1925. Why is it that the Finance Department of the Government of India is so heartless? We may be thinking that we are an independent nation now, but the Finance Department of the Government of India still lives in the days of 1925 and 1935. Perhaps it has become more authoritative than it was under the alien rulers, and does not think of the responsibility it has to discharge to the millions of this country. Here in this Constitution we are, going to say in the Preamble that we will secure social and economic justice to tile people of India. The House has heard thousands of speeches about political justice to the people, but when has the House heard during the last two and a half years anything about economic justice to the teeming millions of this country that are living in the provinces? Sir, the House appointed the Expert Committee, but why is it that the Government of India have not brought forward any proposals so that the provinces ‘could get a share of the revenues of the country and spend it for the development of the undeveloped conditions of the people and for the social well being of the people ? The Expert Committee on pages 13 & 14 of their Report recommended the division of the proceeds of revenue between provinces, but the principle governing the award of Sir Otto Niemeyer is sought to be continued. Sir Otto Niemeyer came here to see that British rule was perpetuated in India. It was not his duty, it was not necessary for him to see that the provinces developed, to see that the people were happy and contented. The Government of India now seeks to perpetuate the award of Sir Otto Niemeyer even two years after independence was achieved I would have been pleased if paragraphs 50-58 of the Expert Committee report with slight modifications had been incorporated in the Constitution. I do not find the Finance Minister here. I believe my honourable Friend, Dr. John Matthai, is a Member of this House. It is his responsibility, it is his obligatory duty to come here and explain why his Government has not come forward with assistance to the provinces in the last two years. He is not present here, but I hope some member of the Government who is a Member of this House will come forward with an explanation of this dilly-dallying and shilly-shallying policy of the Finance Department of the Government of India. Sir, the recommendations of the Expert Committee, which was appointed by you, made their recommendations as a whole. They are one piece of recommendation. The Government of India have accepted nothing, nor has their spokesman here explained why they are so inattentive to the recommendations of the Expert Committee appointed by you with the concurrence of this House. In Paragraph 71 of the report, it is stated: “We would further recommended. in order to save time, that the Finance Commission may be set up in advance of the coming into effect of the Constitution, and its status regularised after the Constitution comes into effect.”
