ISLAMABAD: The Implementation Commission on the 18th Amendment decided on Thursday to refer difficulties related to the transfer of federal employees to the provinces to a joint sitting of parliament, sources said. Article 267A of the Constitution, inserted in the 18th Amendment, provides for convening a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate to resolve such problems through a resolution.
A draft resolution approved by the commission for tabling before the joint sitting says: “The federal government may transfer a civil servant, working in an attached department or subordinate office situated in a province, to the province concerned in consequence of the devolution of functions under the provisions of the Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Act, 2010, and thereby he shall become the civil servant of the respective province on the same terms and conditions as were applicable to him before such transfer.”But the commission did not say when the joint sitting will be called.
The nine-member commission reiterated its resolve to devolve another five ministries to the provinces by March 15 and the remaining by June 30.
Five ministries had been devolved by the end of last year.
It rejected the demand of the secretaries of the cabinet and establishment divisions to extend the process to December for sorting out differences with the provinces about smooth transfer of federal employees.
The meeting, presided over by Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination Mian Raza Rabbani, finalised the specified items of the abolished Concurrent List pertaining to the ministries of law and justice, interior, finance, ports and shipping, communications, and revenue division that are to be devolved to the provinces.
The commission reaffirmed that during or after the process of the devolution none of the employees would be laid off.
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