News
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
July 1 to be observed as Provincial Autonomy Day
Devolution completes
* Cabinet approves devolution of remaining seven ministries
* Rabbani says besides three or four contentious issues, all matters of devolution have been resolved
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: A special meeting of the Cabinet Division, on Tuesday, approved devolution of remaining seven ministries under the third and final phase of the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
Eighteenth Amendment Implementation Commission Chairman Raza Rabbani said “the federal cabinet has approved the devolution of seven ministries, including environment, food and agriculture, health, labour and manpower, minorities affairs and women development, which were remaining among the 17 ministries to be devolved”.
“It is for the first time in the country’s history that the federation has devolved its powers to the provinces to make them autonomous,” said Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdaus Ashiq Awan.
Addressing a joint press conference along with Raza Rabbani, Firdaus said the federal cabinet’s special meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, unanimously approved the third and last phase of devolution of ministries and divisions to the provinces.
The minister said that by completing the process of devolution of powers under the 18th Amendment, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government has fulfilled the vision of its martyred leaders.
Besides three or four contentious issues, all the matters of devolution had been resolved, added Rabbani.
“The devolution of power under the 18th Amendment would not give complete autonomy to the provinces, but parliament has done its job and the next parliament would bring positive changes in this regard,” he said in reply to a question. Clarifying the misconception of the adjustment of employees of the devolved ministries, the chairman said that 3,178 civil servants, 12,600 employees of autonomous bodies, 12,200 project employees and 45 miscellaneous staffers were affected due to the devolution process. He maintained that the project employees would be transferred to the provinces, whereas, the remaining would be adjusted at the federal level.
Firdaus informed reporters that “the prime minister has decided to observe July 1 as ‘Provincial Autonomy Day’ and the reason for selection of this day was because One-Unit was dissolved in on this day in 1970”. To a media query, she said that with the devolution of powers, the provinces would be strengthened and the masses would be empowered and they would get relief too. She said that it had been decided that the ministers whose ministries had been devolved in the third phase would continue to work, though their portfolios would be changed.
Rabbani told journalists that an amendment in the National Commission for the Status of Women and Environment Protection Act 1977 had also been proposed to make them independent and autonomous bodies. The cabinet meeting also discussed amendments in rules and business of certain departments for their smooth functioning, he said, adding that “the prime minister has directed to present draft of the proposed amendments before the cabinet within 10 to 12 days for further action”.
In his opening remarks, while chairing the cabinet’s meeting, the prime minister said the cabinet would approve the third and last phase of the devolution, adding that abolition of the concurrent list was a major step towards provincial autonomy. He paid tribute to President Asif Zardari for transferring his powers to parliament that was done through smooth transition.
Gilani said the federal government remained committed to implement changes envisaged in the 18th Amendment Act 2010 in letter and spirit and in the given timeframe.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk