The 16th Finance Commission (FC) has begun its work, primarily focusing on the devolution of the consolidated fund.
It was established under Article 280 of the Indian Constitution.
In the absence of the 2021 Census, reliance on 2011 data is inadequate for the evidence-based fiscal devolution.
India has approximately 4,000 statutory towns and an equal number of Census towns, with an estimated 23,000 villages, all of which are effectively urban.
These figures must be captured by the 16th FC, including the significant migration to Tier-2 and 3 cities.
Intergovernmental transfers (IGTs) to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in India are about 0.5% of GDP.
It is much lower than the 2-5% typical of other developing nations.
For instance, South Africa allocates 2.6%, Mexico 1.6%, the Philippines 2.5%, and Brazil 5.1% of their GDPs to their cities.
Increasing the quantum of IGTs as a percentage of GDP is necessary.