Arun Jaitley.

NEW DELHI: Will BJP promise a GST Council-like entity in its manifesto for the 2019 general elections to coordinate issues linked to agriculture , rural development and health?

Finance minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday triggered a debate suggesting that a federal institution to coordinate between central government and states in agriculture, rural development and health will optimise resource utilisation and benefit citizens.

“Agriculture and rural development is one area where the central government spends a lot of money on creating rural infrastructure and also in supporting the farmer,” Jaitley said.

“Obviously the state governments are also doing this. Now must these be scattered resources? Must there be competitiveness or must there not be coordination between the Centre and state governments so that there is an optimal use of resources,” he said in a video message on Twitter . He said a coordination body on a non-statutory basis like the GST Council , as a federal institution can do that job of coordinating between the states and the Centre.

