News Details

19/06/2017

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has regretted at-source deduction from provincial receipts by the federal government

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has regretted at-source deduction from provincial receipts by the federal government under national programme of provision of subsidized fertilizers and DAP for the farming community. He deplored that the federal government shifted the burden to the provinces. The federal government needed to take on board provincial government on any welfare or any developmental programme. He further lamented that the real interest of the concerned sectors and segments of society were also ignored while launching such programmes by the central government, he added. He was chairing meeting of the provincial cabinet at Cabinet Room of Civil Secretariat Peshawar. Besides threadbare discussion on other agenda items, the cabinet also reviewed the matter of at-source deduction from the province in the national fertilizers subsidy programme of the federal government. Chief Minister however approved the subsidy programme and at-source deduction from provincial funds with the condition that provincial governments would be compulsorily consulted in future in such matters of provincial and public interest so that norms of the constitution and provincial autonomy could not be harmed in any respect. He asked the concerned authorities to write to the federal government about the reservations of provincial government. It is pertinent that Rs. 699 million have been deduct at-source from provincial receipts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government under this national programme of subsidy on fertilizers and DAP. The National Program for provision of subsidize Urea etc have been focused on cotton and rice growing crops which are not the main crops of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but Punjab and Sindh. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa farmers mainly grow wheat, maize, fruits and vegetables would not be the beneficiary of this subsidize programme. The Chief Minister with consent of the cabinet approved supplementary grant of Rs. 699 million subsidy at the rate of Rs. 78 per bag of Rs. 156 on urea fertilizers and Rs.150 per bag of Rs. 300 on DAP that equaled to subsidy of Rs. 429 million and Rs. 270 million respectively on behalf of provincial government. Pervez Khattak however said that the farmers’ community as well as people of entire Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be greatly benefited of the subsidy programme of the federal government provided the provincial government or at least the agriculture department was negotiated and consulted properly that would also ensure the judicious and transparent use of the funds. Chief Minister also approved spending 10% funds of the hydel net profit on the affected areas of hydel power stations and dams including the Warsak Dam. He agreed with the cabinet that people must also realize the enormous benefits of such installations as compared to the hardships that brought along. He also asked for evolving candid policy with introduction of internal audit in the government departments and expanding it to the districts as well as emphasized on its more transparency and acceptability. Earlier, the Chief Minister along with the cabinet members and high ups offered Fateha for the martyred police jawans of terror attack on a police van at Chamkani. ==============