Ansar Abbasi is the most resourceful investigative journalist of Pakistan with innumerable sources at his disposal who feed him with information about how the PPP ministers are upset. In his latest investigative work he has mentioned that PPP ministers are upset with the situation where they cannot utilize huge funds at the disposal of government agencies like EOBI, Workers Welfare funds, Evacuee Trust Properties etc.  Well done Ansar Abbasi, very well done. Your hatred for the PPP is once again reflected in your writings. Again, the Punjab Government is shown as the angel by saying that it was because of their presentation that the scheme has been adopted by the Prime Minister and because of that the PPP ministers are upset.

Ministers upset as PM blocks use of billions

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Sunday, June 20, 2010

BY Ansar Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: Some of the federal ministers are upset with the moratorium agreed to by the Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gillani with the provinces on Thursday from utilizing hundreds of billions of rupees worth cash and properties that would now be devolved to the provinces as a follow up of the 18th amendment, which has abolished the concurrent list in the Constitution altogether.

Official sources said that some senior PPP ministers are upset with this situation as their hands are not only tied to use these huge funds but have also been prevented to launch new projects under the department, being devolved to the provinces, besides having being stopped to make fresh recruitments of their favourites in such government agencies.

These sources said that while Senator Raza Rabbani and other members of the Implementation Commission completely supported the provinces’ demand for moratorium during Friday’s meeting, but a set of senior PPP ministers are of the view that such a moratorium would badly hurt the party, which is under pressure to give maximum jobs to its workers.

These sources said that this decision has also upset those who have set their eyes on the rich organizations like EOBI reportedly having a portfolio of Rs160 billion, workers welfare fund’s Rs30 billion and properties worth hundreds of billions of rupees of the Evacuee Trust properties. The funds and properties of all such organizations would be transferred to the provinces.

Following the 18th amendment, the following subjects, including Agriculture, Livestock & DD, Board of Revenue, Environment, Health, Home, Higher Education, School Education, Literacy & NFBE Special Education, Information Culture & Youth Affairs, Labour & Human Resources, Population Welfare, Social Welfare and Women Development, Tourism, Zakat and Ushr, Transport, Local Government, Law and Parliamentary Affairs and Auqaf have now stand devolved to the provinces.

The process of devolution to the provinces shall be completed by June 30, 2011. In the Punjab government’s presentation, which was adopted by all the other three provinces and agree to by the prime minister, the federal government was demanded to issue a status quo directive to freeze undertaking of major decisions, involving sale of government property or transfer of Evacuee Trust Property, recruitment, changes in EOBI investments, labour minimum wages and moving a wing from one department to another.

Devolution is expected to commence from August 2010 and federal divisions are required to compile a comprehensive list of inventory by August 31, 2010. The provinces objected that the federal government has now no authority on these departments and their assets but still big amounts are being wasted on projects which are political in nature. It was also said that the devolved departments money is being used so that they could be given to the provinces in a bankrupt state.

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