Call for policies to establish self-governed local govt
Speakers at a national convention yesterday called for decentralisation of power at every tier of administration to strengthen local government institutions and make them more functional.
They stressed the need for formulation of specific policies to ensure democratic decentralisation of administration to establish self-governed local government system for flourishing democracy.
They placed the demands while addressing the inaugural session of the national convention titled “Democratic Decentralisation National Convention- 2010” organised by Governance Advocacy Forum, an alliance of 31 organisations, at Biam Foundation in the city.
Speaking as the chief guest, Economic Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr Mashiur Rahman said decentralisation of power is essential to establish self-governed local government system to foster the country's development.
Terming the economical dependency of the local government on the central government the main barriers for establishing self-governed local government, Mashiur stressed initiating necessary measures to reduce this dependency.
He said the government is pledged-bound to strengthen the local government system but will not take any initiative that might weaken the central government.
Presiding over the meeting, Dr Qazi Khaliquzzaman Ahmad, chairman of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), said to disseminate the benefit of overall development of the country, political and economical decentralisation in parallel to the administrative decentralisation is very urgent.
Dr Khaliquzzaman, also president of the national committee of Democratic Decentralisation National Convention- 2010, said the process of decentralisation of power is facing hindrance due to absence of specific policies that decelerates dynamism of the local government activities. So formulation of necessary policies is vital for strengthening local government, he said.
Local government expert Dr Tofail Ahmed suggested formulating a mother law for the entire local government system to make it more effective.
Workers' Party politburo member Fazle Hossain Badsha laid emphasis on more participation of people in the local government administration. Badsha opined to hold all sorts of local government elections on party basis to ensure effective interaction between local government representatives and local parliament members.
Addressing the function, Mohsin Ali, member secretary of the national committee of the national convention, placed a 19-point recommendation to establish decentralisation and self-governed local government system.
The recommendations include formulation of a policy for democratic decentralisation, formation of a government commission for proper implementation of the policy, drafting of development plan and necessary budgetary allocation, direct allocation of a portion of total national revenue for local government and others.
Upazila Vice Chairman Samonnaya Parishad President Jahangir Alam, Bangladesh Union Parishad Forum President Mahbubur Rahman Tulu, Municipal Association of Bangladesh International Affairs Secretary Hafizur Rahman Mollah, different NGO representatives and several hundreds of local government representatives were present at the inaugural session of the national convention.
In the technical session, the convention formed a taskforce comprising of representatives of local government, civil society members and local government experts to draft policies and to submit it to the policy makers.
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