PESHAWAR, Aug 5: NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah has asked the DCOs to provide technical assistance to the district administration, provide guidance to Nazimeen and coordinate diversified activities in the district. He urged that they must support, facilitate and expedite the management of development processes in respective regions.

Speaking at a six-day training workshop on “Capacity building for Zila Nazim, Naib Nazim, Tehsil/Town Nazim, Naib Nazim and DCOs,” here at the Pakistan Academy for Rural Development on Monday, the governor said with new system, legislation, execution, judicial decisions, policing and day-to-day public affairs could be conveniently carried out at the district, tehsil and union council level.

Elaborating the duties and responsibilities of various functionaries under the local government system, the governor said the Nazimeen were representatives of people and administrative heads of the districts, having the power and authority to make policy decisions and play a guiding role in running the affairs of the district.

The DCOs, he added, were professionals and had enough knowledge, expertise and experience about the rules of business. “They are expected to provide technical assistance as well as guidance and coordinate diversified activities in the district,” he said, adding, “they must support, facilitate and expedite the management of development processes in respective regions and set personal examples”.

The governor stressed that they should create a conducive environment so that related departments, development agencies, NGOs and CBOs could achieve their objectives effectively.

Explaining the goals and objectives of the government, the governor referred to the target areas which are: macro-economic stability and restoration of a working relationship with the international financial institutions; structural reforms to remove distortions in the economy and reviving key national institutions; poverty reduction measures; and improving governance and promoting pro-active behaviour.

In fact, he said, the government had taken a great leap forward by evolving a mechanism for transferring power to the people through application of the devolution plan.