• Report detailing demarcation of local areas sought
• 11 metropolitan corporations, 25 district councils to be established
• LG polls to be held on party basis through electronic voting machines

RAWALPINDI: After promulgation of the Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2021, the Punjab Election Commission has asked deputy commissioners (DCs) of the province’s 36 districts to coordinate and facilitate the election commission in the delimitation process without any delay.

It has issued letters to the DCs of Rawalpindi, Multan, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Gujrat and Sialkot, asking them to ensure preparation and issuance of notifications of demarcation of local areas of the metropolitan corporations and district councils and submit a report to the commission within seven days.

It may be mentioned here that in the 36 districts of Punjab, only 10 metropolitan corporations will be established while other districts will have district councils. There will be no municipal committees, however, there will be one metropolitan corporation in Lahore district.

According to the letter issued by the Punjab Election Commission, the deputy commissioner shall issue fresh notifications of demarcation of local areas of the metropolitan corporations and district councils in Sialkot, Gujrat, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, Rawalpindi, Sahiwal and Sargodha.

In a separate letter, the Punjab Election Commission asked deputy commissioners to coordinate and facilitate it in the delimitation process and provide the required details about the local area of each local government.

It has also asked for help in identifying the distribution of population in geographically-compact areas, physical features, existing boundaries of administrative units, facilities of communication and public convenience and other cognate factors to ensure homogeneity in the delimitation of villages and neighbourhoods.

The DCs will ensure preparation, issuance and submission of notifications, documents and 10 copies of authenticated maps showing clear boundaries and census blocks of defunct metropolitan corporations, municipal corporations, municipal committees, town committees and tehsil councils, demarcated under the repealed Punjab Local Government Act, 2019 (XIII of 2019).

On the other hand, local bodies elections will be held on party basis and no candidate will be able to contest elections independently. It will be held through electronic voting machines (EVMs).

According to senior officials of the local government department, the system of tehsil councils, municipal corporations, municipal committees and town committees has been abolished and the system of metropolitan corporations and district councils has been introduced.

All divisional headquarters will be metropolitan corporations. The head of the Lahore Metropolitan Corporation will be called lord mayor while the head of other metropolitan corporations will be called city mayors.

Central Punjab cities Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Gujranwala and Sialkot will be metropolitan corporations while all other districts of the region will be district councils. The head of the district council will be called the district mayor.

The election commission will demarcate neighbourhood and village councils and polling will take place 45 days after the final notification of demarcation.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2021