The two-member team of the World Bank has visited the Faisalabad Industrial City, and reviewed the community development projects, which are being completed with a total estimated cost of Rs 463.832 million.
Ms Shandana Khan, chief executive officer, Rural Support Programme Network of WB in Pakistan, visited the Super Green Agriculture Project, Up-gradation and Improvement in Drug-Abuse Treatment Center, a School of a village Samana Sargodha Road, and Al-Lisan CCB projects, and expressed satisfaction over the utilisation of funds especially the participation of public in national development as well as in the agriculture sector.
She also heard how poor people could transform the quality of their lives when they are allowed to take control of decisions under the shadow of Community Development Board.
Presenting the briefing, Chaudhry Shabir Ahmad, Executive District Officer (Community Development), District Government, Faisalabad, said that the registration of Citizen Community Boards (CCBs) reached a record number of 1,160 up to July 31, 2005 in the country and Rs 463.832 million has been allocated for CCB development projects so far, while more than 50 applications for registration are in progress.
He said that a "Specail Help Desk" for CCBs also established to speed up the registration process through 'one-window' operation at Social Welfare Complex, People's Colony, Faisalabad, under the supervision of District Co-ordination Officer/Caretaker of District Government, Athar Hussain Khan Sial.
He said the community participation refers to the space constructed by citizens to work next to their authorities in the decision-making, policy formulation, and implementation process. Faisalabad has been actively involved in advocating community participation for more equitable and sustainable social development especially meaningful agricultural water course development to improve and save the irrigation water to boost up agri products, he added.
Chaudhry Shabir said the district government is trying to make conscious efforts to involve communities in undertakings that are directly related to their welfare, such as in education, special education, natural resources, including environment management, drinking water and sanitation and advocacy. However, the complete impact of CCBs efforts, have still to show long-term results.
He said the Decentralisation Support Program (DSP) is an initiative by the Pakistan government with funding support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Word Bank to forward decentralisation reforms in Pakistan. The aid program aims specifically to promote local representation and accountability, thereby leading to an enabling environment for better service delivery and poverty reduction.
Replying a question, Chaudhry Shabbir Ahmad said that the Citizen Community Boards are one of the mechanisms created by the Local Government Ordinance, 2001 to promote community participation in local government, which are working voluntary, non-profit associations of local people as per self-help basis in Faisalabad.
The CCBs are a channel for mobilising local communities to participate in development and non-development activities and community participation in local government is important, both to ensure that planning and development are carried out in accordance with local needs, and to monitor service delivery and promote transparency and accountability, he explained.
At present, he said the CCBs are designed to promote citizens' involvement in planning and development, service delivery, and monitoring. The CCBs are intended to mobilise stakeholders in their communities to take part in development and non-development activities.
During field visit, Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, chairman, Super Green CCB, had been submitted the project proposal to the EDO CD together with an bank draft for 20 percent (Rs 0.23 million) of the estimated project costs, while the government shared Rs 0.92 million for construction and remodelling of a water course in a village 72-JB situated in Union Council 160.
Chaudhry Sarwar said that villagers and citizen are playing active role in promoting development. He warned that if political elements entered in this social game, the main objectives could not be achieved.
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