ISLAMABAD, Aug 17: The government on Friday notified that irrigation secretaries of Punjab, Sindh and the NWFP would represent their provinces in the Indus River System Authority (Irsa), instead of their full members who completed their three-year term.

Likewise, the chief engineering advisor of the federal government has replaced Irsa’s federal member.The government has also notified that the Sindh secretary irrigation will perform the duties of Irsa chairman till October or appointment of a new member from Sindh which ever comes first.

The Irsa chairman is appointed on the rotation basis from among the provincial Irsa members.

Since Irsa’s member from Sindh Mohammad Khan Memon was working as the Irsa chairman on his retirement on August 15, 2007, the post has automatically stood transferred to the Sindh irrigation secretary.

Sources said the federal government was left with no option but to invoke chapter two of the 1992 Irsa Act given the fact that provinces had not provided panels for selection by the prime minister as members.

Under clause four of the act, the authority should comprise five members, one each nominated by each province and the federal government.

Clause seven and eight say that in the absence of a member representing a province, the respective provincial irrigation secretary shall represent the province while the chief engineering adviser or his nominee shall represent the federal government.

Some of the provinces and the ministry of water and power have been engaged in a controversy over filling of the four vacant seats of the Irsa members.