Non-transfer of devolved ministries' assets: Sindh government to raise issue at CCI meeting

The Sindh government has decided to raise the issue of non-transfer of attached subjects, lands, buildings, plants, machinery, furniture and fixtures, equipment, transport and vehicles, funds and receivables of 17 devolved federal ministries before the Council of Common Interests (CCI), sources told Business Recorder on Wednesday.
Following the 18th constitutional amendment, the Federal government has devolved Population Welfare, Zakat and Ushr, Sports and Youth affairs, Local government and Rural development, Health, Education, Culture, Tourism, Antiquities, Social Welfare, Women development, Labour, food and Agriculture, Minorities Affairs and Special Initiatives to provinces in four phases.
The process of devolution has been completed on June 30, 2011 while all provinces including Sindh have expressed their reservations that the Centre has not transferred all assets and functions of all 17 federal subjects. This decision was taken by the high-ups of Sindh government in a meting held at Chief Minister House a few days ago, where matters relating to the devolved ministries were discussed in detail.
In this connection, on the directive of Chairman of Devolution Cabinet Committee Murad Ali Shah, inter-provincial co-ordination department (IPC) has issued a letter with a pro forma to all concerned departments. In the letter, it was directed that attached subjects, lands, buildings, plants, machinery, furniture and fixtures, equipment, transport and vehicles, funds and receivables, workforce and their salaries which have been transferred and not transferred by Centre to Sindh government would be mentioned in that pro forma.
Sources said that concerned departments would submit the pro forma within a week to IPC department, which would be sent to provincial Law Department for legal opinion. The meeting of Devolution Cabinet Committee (DCC) would be held on 21st July in New Sindh secretariat with Murad Ali Shah in the chair, while Secretaries of Law, Finance, IPC and concerned departments would attend the meeting, sources said.
The case of Sindh government would be finalised in that meeting and it would be raised in upcoming meeting of CCI, likely to be held in the first week of August, sources added. Many departments had expressed their reservations about non-transfer of attached establishments of devolved subjects during many meetings held under the provincial governments. After that, Sindh government decided to take up the issue with federal government through CCI, sources added.