ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Devolution has expressed serious concerns over the re-establishment of federal ministries on subjects already devolved to the provinces under 18th Amendment and formed a subcommittee to examine the violations.
The requisitioned meeting of the committee was held under the chairmanship of Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro at Parliament House on Friday.
‘The continuation of federal ministries on devolved subjects not only contradicts the constitutional scheme but also imposes an unnecessary financial burden on the federal government at a time when austerity measures are being implemented,’ MrGhumro said.
Mr Ghumro said the first notification devolving ministries was issued on Dec 2, 2010, followed by notifications on April 15, 2011, and June 29, 2011, under which 17 ministries on concurrent and provincial subjects were transferred to the provinces.
He added that the re-creation of ministries after June 30, 2011, dealing with devolved subjects, amounted to a violation of the Constitution.
He cited education, health, national food security, culture, climate change, social initiatives, housing, EOBI, evacuee trust and the collection of Zakat and Ushr among the subjects that had been devolved but where federal ministries or divisions continued to function.
The federal structure has expanded to 31 ministrieswhereas the Constitution envisaged only nine federal ministries defence, foreign affairs, finance, commerce, communications, maritime affairs, science and technology, law and justice and parliamentary affairs, the senator noted.
He said federal expenditure had risen to Rs19 trillion against total tax and non-tax revenue of Rs20tr.
‘Only defence expenditure can be justified given the warlike conditions,’ he said, adding that capping the budget at Rs13tr could save up to Rs6tr.
The newly constituted subcommittee will examine violations of the 2010 and 2011 notifications.
Additionally, the committee directed the cabinet division to cancel the creation of ministries on IT matters.
Senator Poonjo Bheel saidthese ministries should be abolished, while Senator Jan Muhammad Buledi stressed the need to review the functioning of the Council of Common Interests (CCI), which he said had been made dysfunctional.
The Senate panel directed the establishment division to refrain from appointments in devolved subjects, seeking a compliance report within 15 days. It also sought details of payments made to provinces from oil and gas revenues overthelast16years.
Also, the committee was informed that last year Rs46bn allocated for Quaid-i-Azam’s mausoleum were diverted to education ministry. It recommended monthly progress reports on the site.
The establishment division was directed to provide a complete list of federal secretaries detailing their tenures.