Five federal ministries to be transferred to provinces

In a bid to increase provincial autonomy five federal ministries will be transferred to provinces in November.

In a bid to increase provincial autonomy, five federal ministries will be transferred to provinces in the first week of November.

The ministries to be transferred in the first phase include Zakat and Ashar, Youth Affairs, Special Initiatives, Rural Devolpment and Population & Welfare.

The final decision regarding the transfer will be made during the Council of Common Interests meeting on November 1, 2010.

Employees of the transferred ministries will continue to receive salaries from the Federal Government for the period of one year.

Meanwhile, five more ministries will be transferred to the provinces in the second phase.

A day earlier, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had said that 10 ministries will be abolished in the next two months to streamline governance.

However, earlier this year, a move to transfer 24 federal ministries to provinces was put on hold.