LAHORE: The Punjab government is promising a strong local government system but it seems to lack a plan to walk the talk especially after winning loyalties of many PML-N representatives of districts councils, municipal and metropolitan corporations.

“The PTI hardly seems eager to introduce a new local government system in Punjab especially after winning loyalties of 20 PML-N chairmen, vice chairmen of district councils and a deputy mayor from Lahore. Many others are about to join the PTI,” a senior official of the Local Government Department told Dawn on Thursday.

Soon after coming into power, the PTI government had announced that it would replace the PML-N model of local government system with a new one. Various proposals, drafts and working papers were discussed and shared with the chief minister, senior minister, lawmakers, provincial secretaries and other stakeholders.

The proposals included the KP model of the LG system and a two-tier system with powerful mayors.

“Following the decisions taken in several meetings, many proposals and drafts were prepared but the government is yet to take a final decision. Perhaps it wants to have the PML-N representatives on its side and retain the system,” the official said. “You cannot bring someone’s people in your own camp without giving them certain assurances or guarantees,” he said.

He said another reason behind delay in finalising and introducing the new system was a lack of interest on the part of provincial bureaucracy. “The recent action taken by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) against bureaucrats for alleged corruption and misuse of authority has created an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear among the senior and junior officials who are least interested in giving innovative proposals to the government,” he said.

“They (bureaucracy) has almost stopped work as they don’t want to do something exclusive in such an atmosphere,” he added.

The official further said the financial condition of the union councils, district councils, municipal and metropolitan corporations was worsening due to freezing of development funds. It had led to stopping of construction work on various schemes.

Besides, he said, interference in the system by senior officers was also being alleged. “In a recent example, the Lord Mayor of Lahore alleged that the city district administration was interfering in the affairs of the Metropolitan Corporation and also filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan regarding unavailability of funds and interference of the Lahore city admin,” said the official.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2019