Governance scan
ADP
allocation for UPs: Some loopholes
Z.A.M.
Khairuzzaman
Empowerment
of local government institutions will remain a far cry
if people's participation is not ensured in development
activities. Union Parishads (UPs) are such institutions
at the grassroots level where people's participation in
uplift activities is not at all encouraged. Furthermore,
allotment from the annual development programme (ADP),
although the major source of income for the UP's development
activities, is too meagre to meet the requirements. Upazila
level officials are the decision makers in this regard.
The
Upazila Development and Co-ordination Committee (UDCC)
distributes the amount to UPs. Concerned directorates
of the Ministry of Local Government are authorised to
submit the development planning, according to the procedures
of ADP allocation. Development planning for UPs is formulated
according to the recommendations of the administration.
This is contrary to UP autonomy, however, as the allocation
is made indirectly while the central government and its
agencies play an important role in the total process.
The criteria for allocation are based on three factors
at the upazila level: population, area and backwardness.
As there is no elected people's representative in the
upazila, the administrative department of the government
controls the distribution process.
The
problems involved in the procedure are as follows. The
entire amount comes to the UP in three or four instalments.
This creates an obstacle in proper development planning
and its implementation since Union Parishads remain unaware
about the actual amount, resulting in their improper planning.
The absence of elected representatives in upazila leads
to a tendency of bureaucratic and political intervention
in allocation of funds. People's priorities are ignored
and Union Parishads show less interest in participatory
planning.
Sometimes,
ADP allocations are made as per the advice of a local
member of parliament (MP), who is also an advisor of UDCC.
But ultimately, his advice turns into an order. Contrary
to this practice, Union Parishads should make their development
projects in a participatory manner. All UPs should be
united to foil the intervention of bureaucrats in ADP
allocation. Union Parishads have the right to know in
advance the amount to be allotted in the next fiscal year.
Harassment of the chairmen by an upazila engineer and
project implementation officer during formulation of development
planning should be stopped immediately.
All
UP chairmen should decide their demands at a meeting before
the meeting of the upazila development committee to prevent
intervention of the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) or MP.
Union Parishads should remain ever vigilant so that UNOs
allocate money properly without showing bias.
Union
Parishads should know how to avoid the unwanted orders
and advice of MPs. The entire amount should be handed
over to UPs in one instalment and UPs should be accountable
to the concerned authorities about their expenditures.
It
is not possible for a lone UP to demand increased ADP
allocation and its direct disbursement. The National Union
Parishad Forum (NUPF), a forum of elected people's representatives,
can be of great assistance in supporting their demands.
The
upazila committee of NUPF should make UPs aware of the
loopholes in the process of ADP allocation, and can also
discuss with other upazila officials the ways and means
to stop harassment during project formulation.
NUPF
can organise training programmes for the development of
skills for UP members in collaboration with Local Government
Initiative (LGI) or other related development organisations.
The
author is a sub-editor of The Daily Star.
