20000312

'Govt working on

trilateral system

for transfer of power'

RECORDER REPORT

HYDERABAD: Federal Minister for Environment, Local Government, Rural Development, Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis, Omer Asghar Khan has dispelled the impression that the proposed constitution of district governments was aimed at destroying the entity of the provinces.

He was addressing a news conference at the local circuit house here late on Friday night.

He said the provinces had their historical and cultural identity which was respected and acknowledged by the federal government.

He made it absolutely clear that only surplus staff appointed in different government organisation on purely political basis was being removed.

He said it had not been decided as yet whether the local bodies elections will be held on party or non-party basis.

About the devolution of power, he said the government was working towards a trilateral system to transfer power from the centre to the provinces and then at the grass-roots level and added that the government had no intentions of undermining provincial autonomy.

He also dispelled the impression that some amendments were being made in the constitution.

He said the government was only interested in strengthening the democratic process according to the aspirations of the people for good governance.

He said the empowerment of Election Commission, updating of electoral rolls and strengthening the democratic institutions upto the grass-root level were the basic objectives of the present regime.

Omer Asghar said the press was absolutely free but to address press conferences within the premises of the court hampered the legal process.

He did not agree with a questioner that the federal ministries had no powers and added that the ministers were absolutely free to take decisions.

He said the chief executive never interfered in the work of the ministers.

Federal minister said that the present government was determined to eliminate poverty from the country and added that no less than Rs 15 billion had been earmarked for the poverty alleviation programme.

He said that the first instalment of Rs 3 billion had already been released and added that Sindh had already received its share.

He said that the government will also provided relief to the drought-affected people of Thar, Cholistan and Balochistan.

Answering a question about the stringent financial position of local councils, he said it was the responsibility of the provincial governments to improve the financial condition of the local bodies and to ensure that the employees were paid their salaries on time.

Omer Asghar Khan claimed that due to the efforts of the present government, the rate of inflation had been brought down.