Enlightened leadership needed to resolve tax distribution: Subbarao

Former RBI Governor Duvvuri Subbarao has opined that only enlightened leadership at Centre and state levels can resolve the complex north-south divide in deciding on the distribution of the tax pool among states, saying it is beyond the remit of the Finance Commission. Subbarao, who held various positions including the finance secretary of Andhra Pradesh and Union finance secretary, and wrote extensively on issues in fiscal federalism in his new book titled 'Just A Mercenary?: Notes from My Life and Career' further said that horizontal sharing of the divisible pool of taxes has always been a contentious issue but will be even more so in this round. "This (north-south divide in deciding on the distribution of the tax pool among states) is a complex political challenge beyond the remit of the Finance Commission. "Resolving it will demand enlightened leadership at central and state levels that can look beyond politics and build a consensus around an optimal way forward," he told PTI.