You can see from this that any kind of excess levy, although they do not levy, they cannot levy, still a via media has been found out to meet the wishes of the Railway Ministry and despite this, this resolution was communicated to the Drafting Committee; I do not know whether Dr. Ambedkar took this into consideration or not. He owes an explanation to this Committee because this Committee was appointed by the Government of India; to facilitate the finances of the local bodies this Committee was appointed, and despite all these facts, the opinion of the Ministers and the Opinion of this Committee have not been taken into consideration, and we are told that either the Railway Minister or the Finance Minister are not prepared to accept, the unanimous decision of this Committee. Why are you throttling the opinion unanimously expressed by this Committee? This is not a hypothetical question. If the argument is that there can be no taxation without representation, then I have given him the answer that that argument cannot stand for one moment. Many interests are taxed by local bodies but they have no representation there. Even if it is taxed they have no absolute right to tax and they have to go to Central Government for approval finally. Why do you come in the way of local bodies doing some good work ? The Central Government say we do not recognise them. Is the object of this Constitution to throw out these small bodies ? Our aim is that these small bodies should be brought up to that level where they could be happy and prosperous. The Central Government are not prepared to give the necessary amount to these bodies. Some of the provincial Governments are doing their best from their money. The Central Government takes the terminal tax. The other day I broke my head with the Drafting Committee for the terminal tax. They have stopped asking the provincial government to levy terminal tax. Everybody wants money. I am a member of the Central Legislature, I am as keen as my friend that the Centre should be strong. At the same time I do not want the local bodies’ finances to be jeopardised by this method.
