DEBATE on local government laws has been taking place in almost all the four provincial assemblies.

KP introduced the concept of village councils and abolished the unit of union council. Village Councils are the sub-unit (not tier) of the local government. The union council is third and the most important tier within the local government system (district, tehsil and UC).

Election of the union council by the community is very important and Village Councils can support union councils in resolving community issues.

Village Council is an apex body in the community. It participates in solving community level issues while union councils consist of an elected body of councillors. So there is a lot of difference between a union council and a village council.

Village Councils should be at the village level and union councils at the union level. These are two very different bodies elected by the community. Village Councils can be dissolved at any time while union councils are for a fixed period of time.

It is hard for the election commission to conduct elections of Village Councils at each and every village level as they are thousands in numbers.

The following are a few cardinal principles which all provincial governments should consider. All three tiers of the local government (district, tehsil and union councils) should remain intact.

Administrative and financial powers of all tiers should remain the same. Powers of municipal corporations and mayors should be equal. All councils should be elected by the voters.

UCs, tehsils and districts should keep a separate mandatory budget for community development (service delivery through community organisations).

The number of elected members and the reserve seats of the local government (at UC, Tehsil and district) should remain the same in all provinces.

Powers of the elected councils and their leaders (whatever name the provinces give) should be the same.

Relationship of the provincial government with the local government should be the same in all provinces.

The Local Government Commission at the provincial level should keep a check and balance on the relationship between the local government and provinces.

Rural and urban divide should be reduced to a certain level to address the gap.

AIJAZ ALI KHUWAJA
Karachi