KARACHI, Feb 1: Local governments should ensure maximum public participation in the process of framing by-laws so that the problems being faced by people could be resolved easily at the grassroots level.
This was stated by Adviser to the Chief Minister on Local Government Waseem Akhtar while addressing a workshop here on Wednesday.
The Consultative Workshop on Preparation of Model By-laws for Districts was organized under the Decentralization Support Programme (DSP) of the Sindh Finance Department.
The minister expressed the view that local government laws could only prove effective when sufficient input from the citizens was there.
Describing the local government as ‘a revolutionary system’, he said it was aimed at resolving people’s basic problems at grassroots level. Much area, however, was still to be covered with regard to the implementation of this system in letter and spirit, added, and stressed on training and capacity- building of the elected representatives at district, town and union council level.
He said that all laws needed to be improved through amendments to ensure their validity viz-a-viz the needs of changing situations. He said that the SLGO, too, would go through the amendment process during the course of time. He said the amendments should be aimed at providing maximum relief to people.
He lauded the services being rendered under the Decentralization Support Programme and stressed for its continuity. He said that nazims and councillors should take steps for raising awareness in masses.
Dr Riaz Memon, DSP Programme Manager in Sindh, said that the DSP, funded by the federal government, was aimed at providing assistance to local governments under which various training programmes had been initiated for capacity-building. The training programmes on budget format have already been conducted and proved beneficial to TMAs. He stressed on increased public-private partnership to address basic problems being faced by citizens.
He said that the DSP was also working on various projects to expand the revenue base of the local governments to a maximum level and rid them of their dependency on donors.
He announced that a training module for the ‘second generation of nazims’ would be initiated on Feb 15 in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He asked nazims to chalk out sustainable projects for their districts.
Sindh Finance Secretary Malik Israr told the workshop that the formation of by-laws and their successful implementation was a gigantic task for local governments.
He said that despite completion of a full tenure by the local governments, the desired enthusiasm for framing by-lows at district, taluka or union council level in Sindh, sans Karachi, was witnessed yet. He indicated that now, when funds from the federal government were available, local governments should focus on this process with the support and assistance from the DSP.
Sindh Secretary Local Government Ishaque Lashari pointed out that for an efficient delivery by the local government system, decision-making at local level was a must, and formulation of by-laws was an important component of this process. He said that nazims and DCOs of all districts were invited to the workshop so that they could make their suggestions and provide input through model by-laws.
Barrister Zafarullah Khan, the consultant associated with the DSP, said that under the programme, 12 model by-laws would be formulated - six by districts and six by towns.
Participants of the workshop prioritized six subjects for making the model by-laws. They are Local Government (Agriculture Development); Local Government (Community Development); Prevention of air, noise and soil pollution; Local Government (Elective officials’ remuneration and allowances); Regulation of traffic; and Prevention and abatement of nuisances.—PPI