Sindh not to sign NFC Award against multiple criteria; Sardar inform Assembly

Sindh Finance Minister Sardar Ahmed declared on Sunday that Sindh would not sign any NFC Award unless multiple criteria basis is adopted for distribution of national resources among the provinces.
"The sixth National Finance Commission does exist and it would continue to hold meetings," he said reiterating his resolve to fight for the rights of Sindh.
Addressing Sindh Assembly session at the end of discussion on budget, Sardar said, "Nowhere in the world, and even in India, national resources are distributed on the basis of population.
It was only in Pakistan that this unjust formula was in practice."
He informed the house that last NFC meeting was held on June 4, 2004, wherein he was asked to sign the Award based on population, but he declined to do it and insisted on 'multiple criteria' basis which includes population, revenue collection, area and backwardness.
"For the benefit of NWFP, we had proposed the distribution formula adopted by UNDP and, in order to give benefit of area to Balochistan, we incorporated in our proposals the area as one of the bases for resource distribution," Sardar said, and added, that "unfortunately, the NWFP was the only province which opposed the point of revenue collection more than any other province."
Dispelling the impression that Singh government had failed with regard to NFC Award, the finance minister said, "It can not be termed a failure, rather it was a success as according to constitution, the consensus among the provinces is must for NFC Award. It is to be unanimous and had we agreed to population-based formula, all our efforts would have gone waste."
He said: "We did not barter away the interests of Sindh."
He said, "During the NFC meetings which began from November last, we raised objection on taking away Rs 25 billion by the federal government as collection charges (5 percent of total national resources) which in fact were 0.6 percent only. We also called for devolving to the provinces the education, health and such other departments."
Syed suggested that a joint meeting of provincial assembly members from treasury and opposition benches be convened for detailed briefing on NFC issue.