Cabinet approves forming committees to settle inter-ministerial disputes

The Cabinet in principle has approved the formation of two committees to settle inter-ministerial disputes.

The approval for the secretarial and ministerial committees came at a regular cabinet meeting presided by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday.
 
After the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam told journalists that in the event of any dispute arising between two ministries, instead of moving the court they will take up the matter with the secretary-level ‘inter-ministerial alternate dispute resolution committee'.
 
“If the committee fails to resolve the dispute, then the matter will be taken up with the ministerial-level committee, which will serve as the appellate authority,” he said.  
 
“The ministries in dispute with each other can move the court if they consider the decision of the committees unsatisfactory,” Alam pointed out. 
 
Alam said those ministries which had already filed suits in court could also approach the committees to resolve their disputes. In that case, the court cases would be withdrawn.
 
The secretary (reform and coordination) of the Cabinet Division would head the secretary-level ‘inter-ministerial alternate dispute resolution committee’, the cabinet secretary said.
 
The secretary of the Law Ministry, a representative of the Prime Minister’s Office and secretaries or representatives of the ministries locked in disputes would be the other members of the five-member committee, he said. 
 
The joint secretary (coordination) of the Cabinet Division will be the member secretary of the committee.
 
Besides, the committee would also be able to co-opt any other member or take expert opinion to settle a dispute, Alam said.
 
The eight-member appellate committee will be headed by a senior minister.  
The law minister, ministers or state ministers of the ministries locked in disputes, cabinet secretary, principal secretary or prime minister's secretary, law secretary, secretary (coordination) and secretaries of the concerned ministries would be the members of the committee, he said.
 
If needed this committee too could co-opt any other member, the cabinet secretary said.
 
When asked whether the ministries would be able to directly move the court, thereby bypassing the committees to settle disputes, Alam said a decision had also been towards issuing an injunction to prevent such moves.
 
“All the ministries will be informed that they will have to first approach these committees for settlement of any dispute. But there will be scope to move the court if the decisions of the committees are not found satisfactory,” he said.
 
“But the decision of the appellate committee should be treated as final. Its decision should be adhered to for disciplinary reasons,” the cabinet secretary added.