ISLAMABAD, Aug 18: The federal government has decided to transfer subjects and functions which can best be performed by the provincial governments.
Sources said on Friday that the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) had analysed constitutional, legal, and administrative issues relating to the transfer of subjects from federal to provincial governments which were to be discussed at competent forums before taking a final decision.
Sources said that a committee headed by Senator Wasim Sajjad on provincial autonomy had discussed transferring 35 of the some 47 subjects on the concurrent list to the provinces.
However, all the political parties represented on the committee did not concur with the proposal and a consensus could not be achieved on the quantum of provincial autonomy.
“Our committee could not develop a consensus, therefore, we did not formulate our recommendations,” the leader of the house in the Senate said when contacted.
Nevertheless, the ruling PML forwarded its own recommendations to the government, he added.
Subsequently, President Pervez Musharraf expressed concern over the slow pace of devolution programme and directed the officials concerned to review their strategy to ensure effective devolution programme as originally envisaged in 2001.
The president wanted the officials concerned to analyse reasons for the slow pace of progress to implement the country- wide devolution programme. The president called for strengthening local government structures, systems and procedures and establishing a ‘transparency mechanism’ at the district level, involving the poor communities.
Sources said that the NRB was working out a new strategy, in the light of the directions of President Musharraf, to propose improved institutional framework that promotes greater transparency and accountability of the devolved local government structures.
The Bureau has also been instructed to make recommendations for institutionalizing the Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) award process along with implementation of a comprehensive capacity development strategy that provides a framework to develop individual organization and societal capacities on governance at all levels.
Sources said that the United Nations Development Programme has offered support to help ensure good governance.
