3 provinces ask govt to rescind LG Ordinance

ISLAMABAD - The future of existing local government system is in great jeopardy as three out of four provinces including Punjab, NWFP and Balochistan in an inter-ministerial meeting here on Saturday asked the government to rescind Local Government Ordinance 2001 dubbing it the 'brainchild of a military dictator. The reliable sources told TheNation that in the inter-provincial meeting of LG&RD ministers, the three above-mentioned provinces not only asked the government to revoke incumbent local government system but also advised the President through federal ministry that existing district governments should be dissolved immediately so that they could not present next fiscal year 2009-10 budgets in their respective districts. We are going to write to President Asif Ali Zardari in a day or two to put a ban on the development budget of district governments, said Punjab LG&RD Minister, Sardar Dost Muhammad Khosa while talking to TheNation. He said that if sitting district governments would present and pass their development budgets in the ending days of their tenure, provincial governments would have to bear their cost in the following months. He said that as LG system had been placed under 6-Schedule of the Constitution therefore Provincial Assemblies could neither dissolve district governments nor bar them from presenting development budgets for the fiscal year 2009-10. As per sources, Sindh was in favour of keeping existing local government system intact with necessary amendments and also proposed that Nazims should be given extension of one year in their tenure. It is pertinent to mention here that major coalition partner of PPP in Sindh Government, MQM, is the staunchest supporter of existing LGs system and has frequently asked PPP top command not to abolish it. The sources said that the LG ministers of Punjab, NWFP and Balochistan told the meeting that they wanted to revive local bodies system of 1979 with some modifications and had also completed their homework regarding it. They told the meeting that they had even presented the framework of that system to their respective provincial cabinets, said the sources. Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Local Government & Rural Development has asked all provinces to submit their final recommendations regarding amendments in the existing local government system to the Ministry till June 12. After chairing an inter-provincial meeting of LG&RD ministers in which Chief Minister Balochistan, Nawab Aslam Raisani also participated, Federal Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Justice (r) Abdul Razzak A. Thahim told the media that local government system would continue after some amendments in it in accordance with the recommendations of the provinces. He said that the Federal Ministry had asked the representatives of all the provinces to submit their suggestions for the reformation of the existing local government system till June 12. The Minister said that under the provincial recommendations, the system of local government would be modified to plug its loopholes adding that the final approval of the amendments would be given by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani. The Minister said that the tenure of incumbent local governments was going to be completed on October 17, 2009. It has been decided in principle in the meeting that the system of local government would be made more effective for the betterment of people after introducing amendments in it, he observed. Federal Minister for LG&RD, while responding to a query, said that the approval of the Local Government Ordinance 2001 had not been taken by the Parliament. The Minister agreed that some corruption cases had been reported in the LG system 'but we cannot ignore the development made under the local governments. The Federal Minister said that commissionerate system in Punjab and NWFP had no link with LG system because work of commissioners was to dispose of revenue appeals only. Responding to another question, the Federal Minister said there were 134 districts in the country where development work had been carried out by Nazims. He said that Gen Tanvir Naqvi had formulated the Local Government Ordinance 2001, which might have some loopholes, but they could be plugged. The Minister said that according to LG system, police and bureaucracy were under the control of masses. Punjab Provincial Minister for Local Government, Dost Muhammad Khosa on the occasion said that the country needed such LG system through consensus of all political parties of the country that could provide better service to the masses. Khosa said that 38 revenue cases were disposed of from the revival of Commissionerate system till the imposition of Governor Rule in Punjab 'but the illegal governor rule in Punjab ruined the commissionerate system. Sindh Minister for LG&RD, Agha Siraj Durrani said that each province had local government commission and according to it action could be taken against the Nazims if found guilty of mismanagement and negligence. Speaking on the occasion, Chairman, National Reconstruction Bureau Dr Asim Hussain said that his department was working for change in the system in the light of recommendations being submitted by the provinces. We would formulate such a system, which would be acceptable to the masses and the provinces, he said.