ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel has expressed skepticism over the federal government’s claim of cutting down its expenditure and stated that if it was serious it should have devolved ministries and divisions to the provinces under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
A meeting of the Senate Functional Committee on Devolution presided over by Dr Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur said the sole purpose of retaining the devolved ministries and divisions was to accommodate the ministers and at one point the number of ministers were around 80.
“The prime minister did not devolve ministries to reward his relatives and party workers,” she said and added that the bureaucracy was also a beneficiary while members of the committee wondered as to what was the point to create another ministry, inter-provincial ministry, when Council of Common Interests (CCI)’s role was to supervise and control the Federal Legislative List Part-II subjects.
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Senator Zameer Hussain Ghamro said that CCI instead of controlling and supervising all the institutions of Federal Legislative List Part-II, has delegated it powers and responsibilities to the prime minister and few ministers who have been making decisions which the CCI should have made.
As a result, the CCI was not accountable for anything but officials (bureaucracy) has been drawing salary and other perks and privileges.
The Committee lamented the CCI officials for submitting a reply, stating that the CCI, being a constitutional forum, is answerable to the Parliament, whose directions in a joint sitting are binding on the Council, but not to its Special or Functional Committees.
Senator Ghumro said that as per Article 153 of the Constitution, the CCI is answerable to the parliament, and the parliamentary committees are an extension of the House.
He added that the CCI is responsible for governing and supervising institutions such as the PMDC, Railways, and WAPDA, which fall under the Federal Legislative List Part-II after the 18th Amendment.
He deplored that unfortunately, the core responsibilities of the CCI are being controlled and managed by the federal cabinet.
The committee directed the CCI to submit annual reports of previous years and asserted that the CCI should regain its legal position and fulfil the responsibilities entrusted by the Constitution of Pakistan.
Furthermore, the Senate Committee was briefed on the role and function of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.
The committee members and chairperson stated that food and agriculture are devolved subjects and the Ministry of National Food Security and Research should be devolved as per the 18th Amendment.
She also deplored that despite having a separate ministry, the country’s indigenous fruit have depleted, and the ministry has failed to undertake any steps to protect local production.
Instead, foreign tree species are being planted, which are not suitable for the national ecosystem and are causing health issues, such as allergies in Islamabad.
The Committee decided to have a detailed briefing on the 17 attached departments of the ministry.
The meeting was attended by senators, Poonjo Bheel, and Fawzia Arshad, Additional Secretary for Ministry of National Food Security and Research Ayesha Khalid. Other senior officials of the ministry and CCI were also present.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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