5th SFC

The Fifth State Finance Commission (SFC 5) has been constituted by the Government of Jharkhand as envisaged in Article 243 I and 243 Y of the Constitution of India and Section 114(1) of the Jharkhand Panchayati Raj Act, 2011 and Section 97 of the Jharkhand Municipal Act, 2011 vide notification 526 /वि. Dated 23/02/2024 for a period up to 27.01.2029.

The SFC 5 is a three-member Commission. Sri Amrendra Pratap Singh (I.A.S. Retd.) is the Chairman and Sri Harishwar Dayal, Associate Professor, St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi and Director, Panchayati Raj, Ms. Nisha Oraon (Ex-Officio) are its Members.

The chairman, Amrendra Pratap Singh, joined the commission on 26.02.2024, and the member, Dr. Harishwar Dayal joined the commission on 05.03.2024.

The state government vide notification no. 2366, dated 15.10.24, accorded the status of the Chief Secretary to the Chairman and Secretary to the member of the commission.

Mr. Nitish Kumar Singh, Director, Directorate of Audit, under the Department of Finance, is the ex-officio secretary of the Commission vide notification no. 2366, dated 15.10.24.

Dr. Harishwar Dayal
Member
Dr. Harishwar Dayal

Harishwar Dayal, M.A. and M. Phil. in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi and Ph. D. from Ranchi University, is an Associate Professor of Economics at St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi University, Ranchi. He has 37 years of teaching and research experience. His research interests include Development Economics, Labour Economics, and Federal Finance.

He has more than 30 articles, published in reputed journals and edited books, two books, and one edited book to his credit. Besides his teaching assignment, he has served as the Director, Institute for Human Development, Eastern Regional Centre, Ranchi (2012–2014), Honorary Director, Institute for Human Development, Eastern Regional Centre, Ranchi (2014–2017) and Director-in-Chief, Centre for Fiscal Studies, Government of Jharkhand (2017–2022).

Terms of Reference

1.1 The terms of reference of the Commission mandated the following:

The Finance Commission shall review the financial position of the Panchayats (Zila Parishad, Panchayat Samiti, and Gram Panchayat) and the Municipalities (Nagar Nigam, Nagar Parishad, and Nagar Panchayat) and make recommendations as to:

a. The principles which should govern –
  1. The distribution between the State, Panchayats (Zila Parishad, Panchayat Samiti, and Gram Panchayat) of the net proceeds of the taxes, duties, tolls, and fees leviable by the State, and the allocation between them of their respective shares of such proceeds.
  2. The determination of the taxes, duties, tolls, and fees which may be assigned to, or appropriated by, the Panchayats.
  3. The grants-in-aid to the Panchayats from the Consolidated Fund of the State.
b.

The measures needed to improve the financial position of the Zila Parishad, Panchayat Samiti, and Gram Panchayat.

c. Based on the Act related to Urban Local Bodies, the following recommendations and advice shall be given:
  1. Transfer of net receipts of tax, toll, road tax, and fees to Urban Local Bodies.
  2. Proportionate allotment of tax, toll, road tax, and fees to Urban Local Bodies.
  3. The grants-in-aid to the Urban Local Bodies.
  4. The measures needed to improve the financial position of the Urban Local Bodies.
d.

Any other subject that the Honourable Governor may refer to the State Finance Commission to strengthen the financial status of Zila Parishad, Panchayat Samiti, and Gram Panchayat.