CRC approves transfer of 5 federal ministries to provinces

A special cabinet meeting on November 30 will give the final approval for the transfer of the ministries.

ISLAMABAD: The committee formed to implement the 18th amendment by the  Constitutional Reforms Committee (CRC) approved the transferring of five federal ministries to the provinces on Saturday.

Senator Raza Rabbani chaired the meeting in Islamabad to decide the fate of five federal ministries that were to be transferred to the provinces.

According to Express 24/7 correspondent Sabur Ali Syed, a number of ministries have to be transferred to the provinces before the end of June 2011. At present, five ministries are being handed over to the provinces. The process however, is fraught by problems. Provinces have been complaining that they are facing financial constraints and that they are not in a position to bear the burden of accommodating the employees working in each of the ministries in addition to other costs, said Sabur.

The ministries to be tranferred include the Ministry for Local Government and Rural Development,  Ministry of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Zakat and Ushr, Ministry for Population Welfare and Ministry for Special Affairs.

The committee has sent its proposals to the cabinet and a special cabinet meeting will be held on November 30 to give final approval for the transfer of the ministries.

The move is in line with the devolution plan under the 18th amendment whereby the government has to transfer 10 federal ministries to the provinces by the end of this year. Under the plan announced by Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, five ministries each will be devolved in November and December.