ISLAMABAD, Feb 20: The government is to allocate a sum of Rs1 billion in the federal budget 2003-2004 to support the newly introduced devolution plan.

The first meeting of the National Steering Committee on Devolution (NSCD) held at the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) secretariat on Thursday was told.

The meeting decided that the allocated amount would jointly be utilized by the police and union councils to improve the condition of police stations and uplift of areas, NRB Chairman Daniyal Aziz said.

The NSCD asked the provincial representatives to ensure fiscal transfers to the local governments, and that the Provincial Finance Commissions should recommend the final award for the local governments by the end of April, 2003.

The meeting decided that the percentage of the amounts distributed among the local governments in the final awards could be less than that determined in the interim awards.

The formation of the NSCD was notified on Jan 28, 2003, with a mandate to serve as a forum for the provincial governments to interact and discuss local government issues, to prepare proposals for decisions by the Prime Minister’s Committee on Devolution (PMDC), and to steer the implementation of the decisions of the PMDC.

The NRB chief informed the members of the committee that the bureau had completed its work on the Budget Rules and the Citizens Community Board (CCB) Rules. These had been sent to the provincial governments for promulgation.

He emphasized that 25 per cent of the development budget should be utilized for the CCB projects as required under the law. The provincial government representatives apprised the meeting of the progress made in respect of devolution in their respective provinces.

It was noted that there was a need for making the Local Government Commissions effective.

It was pointed out that the issue of postings and transfers of local government functionaries should be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Ordinance, 2001.

The provincial representatives briefed the meeting on the progress made concerning the establishment of District Public Safety Commissions and other institutions under the Police Order 2002.

The NSCD noted that there was a need to establish a system of checks and balances on a priority basis to improve the policing system in the country.

The NRB chairman was of the view that if the Local Government Ordinance 2001 was implemented in letter and spirit, it would create the necessary environment to rid the country of the culture of corruption, favouritism and red-tapism in government offices.

“The local governments should be given an opportunity to establish the new environment in which projects will be undertaken in a transparent manner,” he said.

In order to establish an independent prosecution service in the provinces, the provincial governments have completed preparatory work.

It was informed in the meting that training programmes for Zila/Tehsil/Town councillors were under way and over 18,000 elected representatives will benefit from these programmes to be completed by June, 2003.