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NFC award: action needed not words REFERRING to the president’s interview with the world’s first Sindhi satellite TV channel, KTN, Kawish writes that Gen Pervez Musharraf has admitted that the National Finance Commission Award should not be based solely on population but area and tax recovery should also be considered for this purpose. He also said that there was a need to revise the Council of Common Interests (CCI) and that the Mangla Dam should not be filled in the month of March. The daily points out that these points are among the last-standing demands of Sindh. Kawish says that according to the Constitution, the National Finance Commission Award was to be for five years, but the award has entered its seventh year. Last year preparations were made for a new award for which a committee was set up which in its report said that no country running under a federal system distributed finance among its provinces only on the basis of population. It recommended that Pakistan should also take area and tax recovery into consideration while preparing the next award. When the report was presented before the provinces, Kawish asserts, Sindh and Balochistan agreed to its recommendations and the NWFP proposed other indicators also for inclusion. But Punjab remained adamant that the award’s basis should not be changed and it should remain confined to the population factor. As a result, Kawish says, absence of a consensus among provinces was made a pretext for delaying a new award and it was decided that the old one would continue. The daily adds that now that the president has also said that the award should not be solely based on population, he should ensure that a new one is announced as soon as possible and that too a judicious one. The paper also insists on the early formation of the CCI, arguing that in its absence different disputes among the provinces tend to linger on. Commenting on the water sharing Tameer-i-Sindh writes that at the Indus River System Authority’s latest session, representatives of Sindh and Punjab exchanged hot words and Balochistan’s representative staged a walkout to protest against Punjab’s refusal to allow water discharge from the Mangla for the Kachhi Canal. The Sindh representative refused to accept the water share for the last days of Kharif and the coming Rabi season according to the 1994 water accord and insisted on water distribution according to the 1991 agreement. The daily says that on the one hand, the president is running a campaign for consensus on the projects like the Kalabagh dam and the greater Thal canal and, on the other, Punjab’s attitude is making it impossible for Irsa to decide on the water sharing. It says that it is simply absurd to persist in taking water on the basis of a decision made by a ministerial committee in 1994 while the president has assured that the issue will be tackled according to the 1991 accord. Sach takes up the issue of delay in providing relief to the rain-affected people and says that despite the promises of financial assistance by the government, the rain victims of Badin and Thatta have not yet received a paisa. Ibrat deplores the rise of tribal feuds and holds lack of education among the people, the sway of feudal system and police failure to maintain law and order responsible for the trend. It reminds the Sindh chief minister of his statement on assuming office that efforts to settle tribal disputes would be his priority. Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)
