ISLAMABAD - The lifting of ban imposed by the Punjab Government on the utilisation of Citizen Community Boards (CCBs) funds has given more breathing space to the Local Government Ordinance 2000, as formation of CCBs at local level across the country was the significant part of this system of governance at grassroots level. The CCBs, under Section 98 of the Punjab LG Ordinance 2001, is an essential component of the local governance system. Before the dissolution of Local Government System these community development bodies were functioning as non-profit organisations under certain mechanism of their registration with the district registration authority and a full-fledged monitoring system. Currently, about 60,000 CCBs are working for the community empowerment throughout the country. Earlier, the Punjab Government had seized the CCB projects funds on February 23, 2010 but after the passage of 18th Amendment, the province through a notification No. SO(PLGC) /LG/1-111/2010, dated April 21, had lifted the ban consequently opening the doors for development activities at the local level. According to the notification, schemes already initiated under CCB funds in different local councils may be completed at the earliest. It further reads that the schemes, which are in overall public interest should be initiated from the CCB funds remaining within the available budgetary resources and existing legal framework, while ensuring due transparency and institutionalising an effective system of monitoring. According to Section 98 of the LG Ordinance 2001, a CCB comprised at least 25 non-elected community members, allowed to perform through voluntary, proactive and on self-help initiatives. The Ordinance also allows setting up of any number of CCBs for the purpose of energising the community for development and improvement in service delivery, development and management of a new or existing public facility, identification of development and municipal needs, mobilisation of stakeholders for community involvement in the improvement and maintenance of facilities, welfare of the handicapped, destitute, widows and families in extreme poverty, establishment of farming, marketing and consumers cooperatives and reinforcing the capacity of a special monitoring committee at behest of the council. A CCB shall have a general body of its members, who shall elect a chairman, executive committee and a secretary of the board for carrying out its functions. Under Section 100, CCBs may raise funds through voluntary contributions, gifts, donations, grants and endowments for its declared purposes without compromising the larger interest of the community. Earlier, the Punjab Government had announced to hold the local government polls after six months of their dissolution - a deadline, which is going to end in July this year. On the other hand, Sindh Government sought four-month time, which concluded by end of April but the provincial government promulgated the Act on May 31 delaying the local government polls by another six more months. Most of the former nazims were of the view that the provincial governments did not want to hold the local government elections thats why they were adopting delaying tactics and announcing delay in the holding of these elections at basic tier of governance on one pretext or the other.