The 16th Finance Commission commenced its consultations today in Telangana with representatives of local bodies, commerce and industry leaders, and representatives of political parties. Dr Arvind Panagariya chaired the meeting, which was attended by members Ajay Narayan Jha, Annie George Mathew, Dr Manoj Panda, and Soumya Kanti Ghosh.

The Commission’s meeting was held at Praja Bhavan in Hyderabad and will continue tomorrow. Union Secretary Ritvik Pandey, along with representatives from various municipal corporations, municipalities, and gram panchayats, also participated in the consultations.