bengaluru facing challenges in generating resources for funding its five poll guarantee schemes the congress government in karnataka has reached out to the centre requesting the removal of clauses concerning control on populist schemes in order to secure the full amount owed under funds devolution the response comes following the centres call for suggestions from state governments to formulate the terms of reference tor for the 16th finance commissionhighranking officials revealed that the karnataka government has voiced objections to a clause in the tor of the 15th finance commission which involves control or lack of it in incurring expenditure on populist measures this clause is considered one of the benchmarks for measurable performancebased incentives for states the official communication from the siddaramaiah government strongly asserts such criteria should not be included in the tor for the 16th finance commissionthis assertive letter from the state government followed the centres criticism of states participating in what pm narendra modi has often referred to as the revadi culture viewing it as detrimental to national developmentthe karnataka government however maintained that state governments possess the liberty to design their own schemes it contended that a body like the finance commission appointed externally should not prescribe to elected state governments the definition of development or the classification of policies as populist the government defended its five poll guarantees characterising them as schemes rather than populist measures