Nazims of various districts on Tuesday termed bureaucracy as the main hurdle in exercising the financial and administrative powers authorised to them under the local government system.
Attending a workshop, "Media and Governance" organised by National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) here, a majority of the Nazims said even after the passage of over five years, the powerful bureaucracy is reluctant to transfer or share administrative and financial powers with them.
Haider Zaman Khan, District Nazim, Abbottabad, said the local government system is the best one but its objectives are yet to be achieved. The MNAs and MPAs should solely concentrate on legislation whereas the development funds should be given to the local bodies as they are directly answerable to the people. The country could be much prosperous if all the development funds were spent through local governments, he remarked.
He lamented that Nazims are totally powerless even to transfer a peon without approval of the District Co-ordination Officer (DCO). "I have written to the President and the Prime Minister about this miserable situation of Nazims and Naib Nazims," he informed. He was of the view that dispensation of service would not possible without fully empowering the Nazims.
Jamal Nasir Khan, District Nazim, Swat the Local Government Ordinance is not being properly followed while implementing the system. He also resented that bureaucracy and provincial governments were not only interfering but also even not ready to share the powers, which they have been enjoying for centuries.
Naimul Haq, Member, National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) said the implementation process of the system needs to be expedited to achieve its basic objectives. All the small projects are being executed though local governments whereas launching of the mega projects are the responsibility of the federal and provincial governments in every country, he said.
He highlighted that there are at least 67 types of co-ordinating linkages between local, provincial and federal governments to address problems of the masses. To a question, he said NRB has no authority to take action against any corruption, however, the bureau could forward such cases to the concerned authorities.