A group of retired civil servants and diplomats on Monday urged the 16th Finance Commission to compensate Himalayan states Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim and Uttarakhand to preserve the ecology of the region.

They urged the commission to follow up and amplify the 12th Finance Commission’s concept of a “Green Bonus” that allocated funds proportional to the steps taken by the states for ecology and sustainability.

The commission, set up in December 2023, will recommend distribution of tax revenue between the Union government and the states for a five-year period between the financial years 2026-’27 and 2030-’31.

In a letter, the Constitutional Conduct Group said that the Himalayan states face a double whammy of financial compulsions. They have limited sources of income as

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