<p> Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today warned against an ''emerging pattern'' wherein the state's powers are ''abrogated'' by the Centre through passage of bills and accused it of showing ''scant respect'' for state governments.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In an all-round attack on the Congress-led UPA, Jayalalithaa accused the central government of "encroaching on state powers" through the National Counter-Terrorism Centre which was in "contravention" to constitutional provisions that accord priority status to police in the State list.<br /><br />Addressing the Chief Ministers' Conference on Internal Security here, she claimed that the Centre unilaterally decided on the Indo-US joint naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal without taking the state government into confidence.<br /><br />"Lack of consultation with the states and failure to take the states into confidence is a cogent commentary on the system of governance in the Centre.<br /><br />"...This is not all. Adding insult to injury, the central government did not permit the Consul-General of the US Consulate, Chennai, and senior Indian Navy Officials based in Chennai to meet me as the constitutional Head of the Government," she said.<br /><br />Jayalalithaa, who is opposed to the NCTC, said this implies that the central government has "scant respect" for constitutionally-elected state governments.<br /><br />She also expressed the hope that the Centre follow the principle of prior consultation with the state governments, whenever such important decisions are taken by the central government.<br /><br />"No doubt, it is a pre-arranged exercise according to the prescribed tenets under covenant between two countries. Even so, is it too much to expect to be kept informed?" she asked.</p>
<p> Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today warned against an ''emerging pattern'' wherein the state's powers are ''abrogated'' by the Centre through passage of bills and accused it of showing ''scant respect'' for state governments.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In an all-round attack on the Congress-led UPA, Jayalalithaa accused the central government of "encroaching on state powers" through the National Counter-Terrorism Centre which was in "contravention" to constitutional provisions that accord priority status to police in the State list.<br /><br />Addressing the Chief Ministers' Conference on Internal Security here, she claimed that the Centre unilaterally decided on the Indo-US joint naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal without taking the state government into confidence.<br /><br />"Lack of consultation with the states and failure to take the states into confidence is a cogent commentary on the system of governance in the Centre.<br /><br />"...This is not all. Adding insult to injury, the central government did not permit the Consul-General of the US Consulate, Chennai, and senior Indian Navy Officials based in Chennai to meet me as the constitutional Head of the Government," she said.<br /><br />Jayalalithaa, who is opposed to the NCTC, said this implies that the central government has "scant respect" for constitutionally-elected state governments.<br /><br />She also expressed the hope that the Centre follow the principle of prior consultation with the state governments, whenever such important decisions are taken by the central government.<br /><br />"No doubt, it is a pre-arranged exercise according to the prescribed tenets under covenant between two countries. Even so, is it too much to expect to be kept informed?" she asked.</p>