West Bengal Memorandum On Centre-State Relation

In 1977, the West Bengal Government (led by the Communists) published a memorandum on Centre-state relations and sent it to the Central government.

The memorandum inter alia suggested the following:

(i) The word ‘union’ in the Constitution should be replaced by the word ‘federal’;

(ii) The jurisdiction of the Centre should be confined to defense, foreign affairs, currency, communications and economic coordination;

(iii) All other subjects including the residuary should be vested in the states;

(iv) Articles 356 and 357 (President’s Rule) and 360 (financial emergency) should be repealed;

(v) State’s consent should be made obligatory for the formation of new states or reorganization of existing states;

(vi) Of the total revenue raised by the Center from all sources, 75 percent should be allocated to the states;

(vii) Rajya Sabha should have equal powers with that of the Lok Sabha; and

(viii) There should be only Central and state services and the all-India services should be abolished.

The Central government did not accept the demands made in the memorandum.