Daily Times

Senior Minister Punjab Abdul Aleem Khan has stated that two tier local body system implemented in Punjab would learn from past experiences to determine fast track resolution of problems at local level. He added that basic issue is to undertake maximum developmental work with input from local citizens. In this end, new concepts of village and neighborhood councils will play an important role in Punjab.

He expressed these views while addressing the Inter-Provincial Meeting on Local Bodies Departments in which ministers of Local Bodies Departments of KPK and Baluchistan and high ranking officers from Sindh attended. Abdul Aleem Khan said that no local bodies system can be viable without assigning financial and administrative powers; in Punjab, such powers would be delegated at village level.

He claimed that in KPK, the strong and empowered local bodies network played an important role in imparting mandate again to PTI. This system has an important role in flourishing democracy in the society.

Abdul Aleem Khan said that in Punjab 30 per cent of annual development program will be allocated to local body’s institutions and every council will be authorized to start its own developmental project. Senior Minister said that in 25,000 villages of Punjab, development will be started simultaneously and it would bring new face for Punjab Province.

Senior Minister appreciated the holding of such Inter Provincial Meeting on Local Government issues and constituted a committee comprising upon all the four secretaries of Local Bodies Department and Director Generals. The committee would complete its findings within two months to formulate new local bodies system in Punjab.

The minister added that bilateral exchange of views on such important issues of local government within the provinces plays an important role in building up consensus and this practice should be carried on in future as well.

Addressing Inter Provincial Meeting on Local Bodies, Minister from Baluchistan Mohammad Saleh Bhotani stressed that these institutions are much needed in far flung areas of Pakistan and those localities should be targeted where developmental targets are not achieved so far.

He said that this is high time to consult each for the next local bodies act. Mohammad Saleh Bhotani invited all the participants to hold the next inter provincial meeting in Quetta, Baluchistan Minister Local Government from KPK Shahram Khan Tarkai in his speech said that local body’s institutions play role of nursery for the democracy as 20 male and 9 female members of KPK Assembly were elected from different local bodies.

He also called upon to empower these institutions practically so that maximum issues could be resolved at local level. Representatives from all the four local councils also participated in the meeting and gave their point of view.

Director Local Government Sindh, Secretary Finance Baluchistan, Representatives of UNDP and GTZ and other delegates also expressed their point of view and gave a number of proposals for the improvement of local bodies system in future. At the end of the meeting, Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan distributed shields among the participants. He also hosted dinner in honor of all the delegates and accompanied them in the tour of the Lahore City.

Published in Daily Times, January 18^th 2019.