To give greater role to Secretaries’ Committee: Govt amends Rules of Business 1973

ISLAMABAD: The government has amended the Rules of Business 1973 to give a greater role to the Secretaries’ Committee in policy matters pertaining to the civil service, besides assigning it to deliberate on cases where two or more ministries or divisions have different points of view.

The latest amendments also allow the prime minister to appoint any member as the Leader of the House in the National Assembly, Senate or in a joint sitting of parliament for the purpose of regulating official business. Previously, only a minister was appointed as Leader of the House to regulate official business.

Regarding the Secretaries’ Committee, the amended Rules of Business read: “All policy matters pertaining to the career progression, service structure and terms and conditions of civil servants may be placed before the Secretaries' Committee for eliciting views and recommendation before submission to the prime minister or the cabinet.”

Sources say that this amendment would undermine the role of the Dr Ishrat Husain-led government task force on civil service reform. Following these changes in the Rules, all the proposals of the task force concerning civil service reform would go to the prime minister or the cabinet only after the consideration, and on the recommendation of, the Secretaries’ Committee.

These sources say that some senior members of the bureaucracy, including federal secretaries, were resisting certain reforms recommended by the Dr Ishrat-led task force and the latest changes in the Rules would now allow the top body representing the bureaucracy to give its view on any structural changes concerning the bureaucracy.

The Rules of Business 1973 as amended on May 27 gives the Secretaries’ Committee the following role: “Secretaries' Committee (1) There shall be a Secretaries' Committee to discuss matters referred to it by a division, a minister-in-charge, the prime minister or the cabinet, in which collective experience and collective wisdom of the senior officers could be consulted, to the benefit of the subject under consideration. (2) All cases, wherein two or more divisions have different points of view, may be considered by the Secretaries' Committee for its resolution or firming up clear recommendations on the issues, before being submitted to the prime minister or the cabinet. (3) All policy matters pertaining to the career progression, service structure and terms and conditions of civil servants may be placed before the Secretaries' Committee for eliciting views and recommendation before submission to the prime minister or the cabinet. (4) The cabinet secretary, at least once in a quarter, shall present before the cabinet a resume of the decisions and recommendations made by the Secretaries' Committee on various issues. (5) In a matter discussed in the Secretaries’ Committee, if the secretary of a division has agreed to a proposal, it shall not be necessary to consult his division again on that proposal. (6) When a matter is referred to a committee or working group and a division is represented therein by an officer of or above the rank of joint secretary, the agreed decision of the committee or working group shall be treated as final and shall not be subjected to further scrutiny in that division. (7) The Secretaries’ Committee shall meet at least once a month unless there are no items for discussion. (8) Other instructions regarding the submission of cases to the Secretaries’ Committee shall be issued by the Cabinet Division.”

Previously, the Secretaries’ Committee had a limited role. The pre-May 27 role of the Committee as per the Rules of Business was: “ There shall be a Secretaries' Committee to discuss matters referred to it by a division, a minister or the prime minister, in which the experience and collective wisdom of the senior officers could be consulted, to the benefit of the subject under consideration. In a matter discussed in the Secretaries' Committee, if the secretary of a division has agreed to a proposal, it shall not be necessary to consult his division again on that proposal. The Secretaries' Committee shall meet at least once a month unless there are no items for discussion. Other instructions regarding the submission of cases to the Secretaries' Committee shall be issued by the Cabinet Division. When a matter is referred to a Committee or working group, and a division is represented therein by an officer of or above the rank of joint secretary, the agreed decision of the committee or working group shall be treated as final and shall not be subjected to further scrutiny in that division.”

Regarding the Leader of the House, the amended Rules of Business read: “‘Leader of the House’ means the member of parliament appointed by the prime minister to regulate official business in the assembly, the Senate or the Majlis-e-Shoora (parliament) in a joint sitting, as the case may be;”

Prior to this amendment, the said Rule read,: “The ‘Leader of the House’ means the minister appointed by the prime minister to regulate official business in the assembly or the Senate or the Majlis-e-Shoora in a joint sitting as the case may be.”