In a last-ditch effort to carve the Local Government (LG) system in favour of bureaucracy, Senate Standing Committee on Local Government and Rural Development on Wednesday unanimously recommended restoration of centuries-old magistracy system with some minor amendments.
The committee, which met here with Dr Khalid Mahmood Soomro in the chair, said that besides legitimacy, the system has failed to provide good governance and ensure socio-political justice, local and national cohesion, public administration, law and order, price control, sustainable development process and state functions.
The members observed that there are countless flaws in the system, it failed particularly in rural areas, and encouraged corruption. The members noted with concern that Karachi, alone received Rs 252 billion development funds while rest of Sindh government received only Rs 28 billion.
They also said that the system introduced by National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) had failed to ensure transparency and there were reports of widespread corruption and misuse of funds by nazims against whom no action has been taken so far. The committee also decided to approach the federal government to ensure that funds should be judicially provided for the development projects and fairly distributed to the elected representatives, especially less developed and rural areas.
It also directed the CDA and chief commissioner Islamabad to give a detailed briefing to the committee on development works being carried out in federal capital in its next meeting. Earlier, the committee was given a detailed briefing on LG system and the old magistracy system.
The members expressed disappointment over NRB and recommended that the old magistracy system should be put in place with necessary amendments. The committee also decided to visit provincial capitals, where they will be given briefing by provincial local government and rural development departments/institutions regarding the ongoing and new development projects.
This is pertinent to mention that the government has geared up its efforts to decide the fate of LG system introduced by the then dictator-in-chief, the biggest question mark once again is: rollback or restructure as most of the civil society organisations undertaking welfare projects in different parts of the country, especially remote areas are in favour of the district government system.
The issue is still in doldrums as hectic public debate is going on in favour of the system, but Senate committee in its recommendations has clearly drawn the battle line to rollback in favour of the magistracy system, which suits to the members of parliament.
It is very disturbing to note that members of some leading political parties were advocating the complete scrapping of local bodies system and replacing it with centuries old magistracy system. This is exactly the mindset we need to cautiously guard against if we want democracy to evolve on strong footing.
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