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Advani to head Inter-State Council's standing committee

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today reconstituted the standing committee of the Inter-State Council with Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani as its chairman.

The committee comprises five Union Cabinet ministers besides Advani, and eight chief ministers.

The members are: Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Surjit Singh Barnala, Defence Minister George Fernandes, Commerce Minister Ramakrishna Hegde, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, Law Minister M Thambidurai, and the chief ministers of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa and Assam.

The standing committee was constituted in 1996 in pursuance of a decision taken by the Inter-State Council for continuous consultations on important issues.

The previous standing committee was holding discussions on Article 356 of the Constitution and devolution of financial powers to the states.

A few days ago, the prime minister appointed Advani and the five Cabinet ministers as members of the ISC. Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi and Steel and Mines Minister Naveen Patnaik were also nominated as members.

UNI

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