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In a blistering attack, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday took the Centre to task for making attempts to "tinker" with the federal structure, particularly in the implementation of development schemes.
Modi, addressing the National Development Council meeting in New Delhi, also highlighted the "widespread disenchantment" among the people who were becoming "increasingly impatient" with growing corruption.
"It is with a sense of great anguish and deep regret that I wish to draw the attention of this august body to attempts being made increasingly by the Central government to tinker with the federal structure mandated by the Constitution," he told the meeting in New Delhi.
Asking the Centre to observe "federal dharma", Modi said extreme vigilance and caution has to be exercised to ensure that all constitutional authorities were allowed to carry out their mandated functions.
On corruption, the Gujarat Chief Minister said it was "painful" to read the comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India that the "credibility of the government is at its lowest since independence".
Modi said there was a "credibility crisis" in the country and the confidence of people in governance had been shaken to the core.
"Large scale corruption has undermined the fate of the common citizen in our system of governance. Production of voluminous reports to reform governance is not sufficient. Transparency and fairness have to be clearly demonstrated to change public perception," he said.