Ensure better civic services

The government has asked chiefs of all utility service providers in Dhaka to attend general meetings of the two city corporations and implement meeting decisions to improve civic amenities.

The chiefs were also asked to inform the city corporations on progress made in the implementation of those decisions, according to a circular issued yesterday by the Prime Minister's Office.

The government has taken the decision to bring dynamism in the work of the utility service providers and to comply with a provision of the Local Government (City Corporation) Act, 2009, the circular said.

As per section 49 (15) of the law, at least the chiefs of 27 utility service providers, including water, gas, electricity suppliers, are supposed to attend the meetings of the city corporations.

But in most cases, the service providers send junior-level officials to the meeting. They do not respect the meeting decisions as they were not obligated to, alleged officials of the city corporations.

Both city corporations welcomed the government's decision yesterday.

"We were looking for a coordinated authority and the latest move [government's decision] will ensure coordination among the organisations providing utility services," Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sayeed Khokon told The Daily Star.

He said they did not have any authority to impose a decision on the utility service providers. The government decision has now empowered them to do so, he added.

Secretary of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Nabirul Islam said coordination among the service providers would increase and people would get better services.

The two city corporations, however, had not held general meetings regularly over the last one year.

According to section 49 (3) of the act, a city corporation must hold a general meeting every month to discuss different issues. Citizens are also allowed to attend the meetings.

Mayors and councillors of the two city corporations assumed office in May 2015. At least 24 meetings should have been held by this time. But until May 31, DSCC Mayor Khokon and DNCC Mayor Annisul Huq held only five and six meetings respectively. 

Asked, Khokon admitted that they have made delay in holding meetings.

Annisul said they do not have enough issues on the agenda to hold meetings every month and that daily affairs were not required to be discussed in councillors' meetings.

The act also directs the city corporations to form mayor's panel with three councillors, including a councillor from the reserved seats for women, within a month of the first general meeting after the formation of the corporation.

In the absence of the mayor, the panel is supposed to run the show.

On the fourth week of May, Khokon went abroad asking a female councillor over phone to oversee his office duties in his absence.

Sources in the DNCC said the chief executive officer carries out official work of the mayor in Annisul's absence.

“The work, which requires mayor's presence, remains pending till his return,” the DNCC official said wishing to be unnamed.

“We're yet to form a mayor panel. It may be formed at the direction of government high-ups,” said Khokon.

Annisul wants to delay the forming of the panel.

“Though there is an obligation of time but to have a better panel, I need to know the councillors as much as possible,” he said, adding that with the help of technology he is connected round the clock.

STANDING COMMITTEES

Even though the DNCC has 16 standing committees of councillors to oversee different city matters, their inactivity overburdens the mayor and as a result city dwellers are deprived of proper services.

The act makes it mandatory to form 14 standing committees on various issues, including finance, waste management, education, health, city planning and development. The DNCC formed two additional standing committees -- on water logging and mosquito control. 

However, no noticeable work has been done by these committees since their formation on November 17 last year.

The act says the corporation would fix the number of members in the committees and councillors would elect members and presidents of the standing committees.

Annisul, however, claimed that standing committee members met on their work priorities.

The Daily Star contacted 19 councillors of different standing committees, including waste management, mosquito control, water and electricity, social welfare and community centres and market price monitoring. Except the one for waste management, no standing committee meetings were held.

The situation in the DSCC is even worse. There are only two standing committees.

The DSCC mayor said he was waiting for the formation of the city Awami League committee. “Most of them [councillors] are from Dhaka city unit of the Awami League.”

Those with major posts will not be able to give adequate time to the DSCC. Those with relatively less important posts could play active roles, he said. “I want to form standing committees with these councillors,” he added.

Urban development expert Prof Nazrul Islam said the mayors have always been at the helm since the beginning of the corporation system and the current mayors were no exception.

“They [mayors] want to show off their success, which may be necessary in some cases. But the corporation must be functional if the goal of local governance system -- public participation -- is to be achieved and [service] quality improved.”