Hinting at the abolition of the zila parishad system, LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam yesterday said too many branches of local government yield no positive results and it is not good for a democratic country.
Right now, the government has no plan to hold elections to the zila parishads, he told journalists after attending the conference of deputy commissioners at the Cabinet Division of the secretariat.
Asked whether the government was planning to abolish the zila parishad system, he said, “We've to think first whether the zila parishad is a necessity or not… The matter requires due consultations.”
The necessity of the zila parishad will have to be determined before holding the elections, mentioned Ashraf, who is also the general secretary of the ruling Awami League.
The government, he added, is now evaluating two options -- an elected zila parishad or abolition of the system. “There is no logic in making zila parishads dysfunctional after holding the elections.”
Referring to the poor budgetary allocation for zila parishads, the minister said, “A budget announced by an un-elected zila parishad administrator is much smaller than a [third class] municipality.” The financial aspect will also be considered in determining the fate of zila parishads, he noted.
Ashraf pointed out that more branches in the local government system mean more expenditure and everybody should keep it in mind.
The AL leader hinted at strengthening the union parishad, the lowest tier of the local government system, as the grassroots people are directly linked with it.
The High Court in a ruling in 1992 had asked the then government to hold elections to zila parishads. But no government has paid heed to it so far.
During the autocratic rule of HM Ershad, lawmakers were appointed chairmen of zila parishads. With the fall of the military ruler, the chairmen, most of whom were MPs from his Jatiya Party, were removed and deputy commissioners were made ex-officio chairmen.
In 2000, the AL-led government repealed the Zila Parishad Act, 1988, and passed the current law with a provision for direct polls to zila parishads. But no elections to the parishads have been held so far.
In its election manifesto, the AL in 2008 had pledged to strengthen district councils through decentralisation of power. “The district councils will be transformed into centres for implementing programmes on education and health and all other development plans and programmes and also for maintaining law and order,” it said.
In 2011, the AL-led government had appointed administrators to 61 zila parishads, excluding three hill districts, with a pledge to hold elections within the following six months. Most of the administrators were top district level leaders of the AL.
A study by Transparency International Bangladesh in April revealed that zila parishads had become political organisations of the AL as they are run by partisan administrators instead of elected representatives.
NO TO DCS' DEMAND
Ashraf at the conference of DCs turned down a proposal for empowering them with the jurisdiction to remove public representatives at the union parishad level on charges of illegal activities.
“An elected representative should be rewarded or punished by another elected representative. All the elected representatives are in favor of the proposal,” he mentioned.
“As an elected representative and the minister concerned, I myself take punishable measures for any wrongdoings,” he told reporters.
In a written proposal to the Cabinet Division, some DCs sought power to remove elected union parishad chairmen and members if they were found involved in illegal and anti-people activities.
Ashraf informed the DCs that land of the LGRD ministry is being grabbed in different districts. He instructed the deputy commissioners to recover the commandeered land and take steps to prevent further grabbing of it.
Speaking at the conference, Monzur Hossain, secretary of Local Government Division, asked the DCs to properly register the births and death of citizens.