The council tasked the concerned to consult the armed forces for availability of the required human resource and propose a new date for census. The meeting discussed in detail the issue of conducting census in Pakistan. Secretary Statistics Division Shahid Hussain Asad apprised the meeting about preparations made for conducting census in the country. He further informed the meeting that the country has been divided into 166,819 blocks for which a workforce of 210,239 heads is required.
The meeting observed that massive illegalities were involved in the conception, execution and completion of Kachi Canal project. It was informed that initially the project was approved by Ecnec at a cost of Rs 27. 5 billion in 2003; however, later the PC-I was revised with an escalating cost of Rs 57.7 billion. It was observed that the project was started prior to the approval of feasibility study and PC-I.
The Prime Minister noted with concern the "illegal" releases of funds to a project without its approval. All those who started the project and released funds in violation of rules and procedures must be identified and penalized according to the law, said the Prime Minister. The country cannot face such misadventures at the cost of public money. Whether departments or individuals, but those responsible must be made answerable to the people of Pakistan for such faulty projects, emphasised the Prime Minister.
The CCI meeting approved formation of an inquiry commission to fix responsibility on alleged illegalities in Kachi Canal Project. The commission will be headed by a retired Judge of Supreme Court or High Court while Secretary M/o Water & Power, Secretary Planning & Reform and Secretary Finance will be its members. Prime Minister directed that a fresh feasibility study along with implementation plan must be prepared on immediate basis.
The meeting was briefed on Formulation of National Flood Protection Plan-IV (2015-25). The meeting decided that comprehensive feasibility studies in consultation with all provinces and stakeholders must be carried out before presenting the same in the next meeting of CCI to be held on 25th March 2016. The meeting observed that National Flood Protection Plan was of paramount national importance and therefore agreed to take it up as a single item agenda in the upcoming meeting of Council of Common Interests. A committee comprising Minister for Water and Power, Minister for Climate Change and Four Chief Ministers will present the plan.
The Chief Minister Sindh said that the water accord 1991 is a faultless mechanism of water distribution among the provinces. The Chief Minister further thanked the Prime Minister for the recently inaugurated Rs 16 billion Green Line bus service in Karachi.
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Pervez Khattak thanked the Prime Minister for resolving the longstanding issues of payment of net hydel profit (NHP) and net hydel arrears as well as for the Chashma Right Bank Uplift Canal. The Chief Minister KPK said that few hydel projects of the province require approval. The Prime Minister said that the projects must be submitted for approval of the federal government without any delay.
The meeting discussed the agenda item of Pakistan Energy Efficiency & Energy Conservation Bill 2014. The meeting was informed that the bill has been passed by the Parliament and the decision, in this regard, stands implemented.
The meeting was informed that the agenda item of Public Debt Management and Supervision Policy also stands implemented. The meeting approved Draft of Security and exchange commission. Chief Ministers of all the provinces, Shahbaz Sharif of Punjab, Syed Qaim Ali Shah of Sindh, Pervez Khattak of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Nawab Sanaullah Khan Zehri of Balochistan, as well Pir Sadaruddin Shah Rashidi Minister for Overseas Pakistanis, Lieutenant General Abdul Qadir Baloch (Retd), Minister for SAFRON; Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, Minister for Religious Affairs; Fawad Hassan Fawad, Secretary to Prime Minister; Khizar Hayat Gondal, Chief Secretary Punjab; Siddique Memon, Chief Secretary Sindh; Amjad Ali Khan, Chief Secretary KPK; and Saifullah Chatha, Chief Secretary of Balochistan.