LAHORE, Dec 8: Casual enforcement and piecemeal implementation have prevented the district government system to deliver during its over three-year tenure.
This was the consensus of opinion at a dialogue on 'Better governance' arranged by the Foundation for Advancement of Community Education here on Wednesday.
Participants in the dialogue said the new system was stated to be a product of devolution, but it was highly centralized. The National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) controlled the district governments established through the provincial local government ordinances.
The provincial governments followed the guidelines given by the NRB and framed rules of the system in accordance with its guidelines. They said the local councils had 79 functions under the 1966 Constitution.
The functions had now been reduced to only 16, but the number of councillors had been increased from seven to 21. The district Nazims were enjoying unbridled powers because the district Mohtasibs proposed to be appointed for their accountability had not been appointed till date.
Similarly the union council Nazims could not be removed from their offices despite the adoption of recall motions because the neighbourhood councils authorized to support the motions for their removal did not exist.
They said the district coordination officers were also very powerful and refused to release funds despite the approval of district councils. Sheikhupura District Council members had to set up a two-month camp to ensure the release of funds by the DCO.
The district public safety commissions had been constituted three years after the establishment of the district governments, and the members were not satisfied with the powers conferred on them.
They said none of the 100 district councils in the country had published their annual reports of performance as required under the law. The local government commissions had been constituted, but they were not functioning so far.
The members of national and provincial assemblies and the Senate were also against the existence of district governments as they wanted to perform the functions assigned to the same.
Foundation Chairperson Zahid Islam, Muttahida Labour Federation President Mohammad Yaqoob, Roshni NGO President Safdar Hasan Siddiqi and Foundation office-bearers Liaquat Naseer and Sumaira Uzma participated in the dialogue.
