ISLAMABAD: The Centre on Monday decided to take the provinces on board on issues of royalty on gas, distribution of water and appointment of chairman and members of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda).
The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan. It was attended by chief ministers Usman Buzdar of Punjab, Mahmood Khan of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Syed Murad Ali Shah of Sindh and Jam Kamal Khan Alyani of Balochistan.
The meeting approved all conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for Pakistan 2019-22 structural benchmark and performance criteria, including amendment to the Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) Ordinance 2002. Under the decision, Ogra will be empowered to implement the gas tariff to be set by it.
CCI decides to take provinces on board over appointment of Wapda chief
A proposal was placed before the CCI regarding issuance of census result/notification, but it was deferred due to reservations expressed by Sindh over the new census results on the basis of which fresh delimitations were carried out before the 2018 general elections.
Sindh had already expressed concern that less than actual population was shown in the province in the last census conducted in 2017.
According to an official press release issued late in night, the most competent person will be appointed Wapda chairman.
It may be mentioned that Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan told a press conference after the seven-hour CCI meeting that the chairman and members of Wapda would be appointed in consultation with the provinces. The chairman would be picked from the four provinces on rotation, she added.
The CCI meeting decided to form a committee for fair distribution of water among the provinces and a modern telemeter system would be introduced to know the quantity of water in reservoirs.
