National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) has finalised the cantonment boards ordinance, however its implementation is the responsibility of the government. This was said by the Muhammad Naeemul Haq member NRB during a media workshop on local government held at local hotel on Friday.
The workshop was organised by the NRB in collaboration with Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) to acquaint newsmen with the Local Government Ordinance (LGO). It has been observed that local government ordinance has failed to take place in a true sprit despite having been amended in 2005 to further improve the system in the country and empower the general public.
Naeemul Haq acknowledged that the prevailing system was unlike the laws and rule prescribed in the LGO 2001. He said the 150 years old system, which was introduced by the British imperialists could not be replaced with improved results in only few years, adding that it would bring change gradually.
He said that for the first time LGO had ensured the accountability of the elected representatives, pointing out that City Nazims have higher status than the mayor of a city.
He said that LGO provided general public with an opportunity to elect any of the representatives in the local government from up to down in its hierarchy. He said that police was more meant for a service than the force.
To a question, Naeemul Haq replied that no recommendation by the NRB had yet surfaced to curtail the undue authorities of the Nazims during the general election process to scale down their influence on government officials, general public and opponents.
He said that any of the elected representatives in the LG system including; union councillor, nazim and naib nazim would not be able to hold the same office for the third term. Regarding amendments in the LGO, he said that they were aimed to consolidate the existing system and improve the efficiency of the elected representatives across the country.