KARACHI, March 15: The City Nazim, Niamatullah Khan, has said the Sindh Local Government Ordnance (SLGO) was not being implemented in letter and spirit.
Addressing a moot on “Local government and its problems” at the National Institute of Public Administration (Nipa) on Tuesday, the city nazim said the city district government system had been implemented for the first time in the country.
He said though through the system, attempts were made to curtail the excessive powers of the bureaucracy, besides devolving powers to the grassroots level and solving the problems faced by common man, it had some in-built defects like every new system. The city nazim said the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) was trying to remove these defects, adding the system would improve with the passage of time.
He said according to the SLGO, the labour registration, cooperative and other departments were to be devolved into the city government, but in reality no such steps were taken.
He said that 3,500 primary and secondary schools and 82 colleges came under the control of the city government, but the provincial education department was still present.
Mr Niamat suggested that there was a need to lower the financial burden of the provincial government in the new system.
He said under the SLGO, the city nazim was responsible for the law and order, but in reality the CCPO had such powers, adding that the city nazim could not suspend even an ASI.
He said without patronizing the police, no society could reduce the crime rate, demanding that the police department should be subordinate and answerable to the city nazim.
The city nazim said his administration had worked very transparently, adding he had tried his best to introduce a culture of honesty and accountability and carry out exemplary uplift works in the city.
He said President Musharraf had called the city government Karachi a mirror for the city government system.
Mr Niamat said that he had executed lots of projects in a short span of time, which were lauded both locally and internationally. He said every Muslim should try to work hard with honesty and a sense of responsibility.
The city nazim said he fully favoured the local government commission, but it should be free from political pressures.
The Provincial Adviser for Local Bodies, Waseem Akhter, in his speech said the new system was the need of the country, and it was implemented at a right time. He said recommendations for necessary amendments to the SLGO were sent to the NRB.
He said in order to make the new system a success, the bureaucracy, and local and provincial governments would have to strive hard so as to facilitate citizens.
Khairpur Nazim Nafeesa Shah, member of the NRB Islamabad Naimul Haq and Nipa Chief Instructor Zakir Ali also spoke. — PPI
