Stop MPs' meddling in UP business
Union Parishad (UP) chairmen and councillors from across the country yesterday claimed that they cannot perform their duties properly due to 'interference' from local members of parliament (MP) and Upazila Parishad chairmen.
MPs and upazila parishad chairmen demand personal shares from government's allocation of provisions for the poor, UP officials claimed.
Officials yesterday outpoured their grievances at a convention held by Bangladesh Union Parishad Forum (Bupf) - a body of over 4,500 UP chairmen and 54,000 councilors - in city's Diploma Enginners Institute auditorium.
Chairmen and councillors from 640 UPs from across the country attended the day-long assembly.
Speaking at the program, chairmen of different union parishads claimed local lawmakers - mainly from ruling Awami League - and upazila parishad chairmen demand shares of test relief, general relief, 'food for work' allocations and other such provisions provided by the government for the poor.
“If we don't comply, they don't okay the release of provisions to us,” Mahbubur Rahman, president of Bupf claimed.
“We demand that the government send different types of relief directly to us so that we can distribute these among their correct recipients in our unions,” Rahman said.
“Lawmakers and upazila parishad chairmen interfere in development works, they do not permit us to do any work unless it has been determined by them,” said Nusrat Jahan, chairman of number 15 Burir Char union parishad under Hathazari upazila, Chittagong.
“We don't have a proper status in the local government,” said Hasnat Jaman, chairman of number 2 Shaldanga union parishad.
UP officials demanded decentralisation and policy reforms of the local government.
“We want to carry out our duties independently and without any interference. This is our prime demand,” they said.
Many also pointed out that the remuneration of Tk 1400 they receive from the government each month is too small an amount for their work.
The meet was organised with the support of US Agency for International Development (USAID). A new committee of Bupf was formed at the convention.
After its formation in 2003 as the only unified association of Union Parishads of Bangladesh, Bupf has reformed all 64 of its district committees over the last six months after the UP elections held nationwide in July 2011.
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