18th Amendment: Panel re-examines devolution of health, education ministries

Issues concerning ministries’ assets yet to be resolved.

ISLAMABAD:

The special committee set up to examine devolution process of ministries according to the 18th constitutional amendment met on December 19.

The committee first examined the devolution of the health and education ministries to the provinces. They discussed the retention of national programmes at the centre, including programmes on malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS and the Extended Programme of Immunisation (EPI).

The participants also discussed assets such as vehicles, furniture and buildings owned by the ministries at the time of devolution in 2010 and their existing status.

The meeting was chaired by Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq and attended by members of the Senate, as well as Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar, Minister for Education and Training Muhammad Baligh-ur-Rehman and Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada.



This was the first meeting of the special committee chaired by Raja Zafarul Haq since the PML-N government assumed power.

During the last Senate session, the Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination informed the house that she was often questioned about the constitutional status of her ministry.

Chairman Senate Nayyar Hussain Bokhari had referred the issue to the special committee following an objection to the devolution of the health ministry to the provinces.

PPP Senator Raza Rabbani admitted that the ministries for health and education were created by the party after the 18th Amendment without any legal ground and there was a need to review this decision following the devolution of power to the provinces.

Additionally, a number of issues regarding assets and properties worth millions that are falling into disrepair or have been disposed of at throw-away prices have yet to be resolved in the absence of a clear understanding of who is charge of the ministries.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2013.