The Council of Common Interest (CCI) meeting, which is likely to be held on Monday (February 29) will take up important issues including oil and gas matters as well as power generation policy 2015; however, population census has not so far been included in the agenda. Sources in Finance Ministry told Business Recorder that the CCI meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and attended by all chief ministers would have informal discussions on population census and on LNG matters given Sindh government's strong reservations.
They added that the government has convened the CCI after widening mistrust between the federal government and the provinces with the latter accusing the centre of not taking the provinces on board with respect to important decisions particularly on LNG imports as well as construction of LNG-based power plants in Punjab.
As per agenda finalised late Friday night, the meeting to be presided over by the Prime Minister is expected to give approval to the liquefied natural gas production and distribution policy, 2015 and supply of gas to localities/villages in a 5-km radius of gas producing fields.
Sources in the finance ministry stated that there may be some amendments to the agenda in days to come and some more items may also be included. The meeting would also review the status of important decisions taken on 18 March, 2015 CCI meeting. The status review of the decisions include: (i) power generation policy 2015; (ii) oil and gas matters; (iii) allocation of water for Islamabad/ Rawalpindi and an inquiry into corruption charges of Kachi Canal;(iv) Public debt management & supervision policy; (v) The Pakistan Energy Efficiency & Energy Conservation (PEEC) Bill, 2014; (vi) matters pertaining to Higher Education and other similar bodies in post-eighteenth amendment scenario; (vii) amendments to the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Act, 1992; and (viii) Permanent absorption of federal employees transferred to the provincial governments in the wake of the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
The CCI meeting is also likely to approve annual reports of the CCI for the years 2013-14 and 2014-15, short supplies of water in Pat Feeder and Kirther canals and pumping of drainage effluent, rationalisation of distribution of water from Hub dam and early completion of PBOD-III.
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