Editorial
Lack of financing of local bodies
Development works hindered
This is an age-old quandary for elected local government officials in Bangladesh. The disappointment of the electorate at district and union levels runs deep, since despite having voted their candidate of choice to official capacity, desired changes in terms of development work hardly take place in respective constituencies. But then it is not the fault of public representatives, rather it is the system of allocation of development funds that is done centrally which is to blame.
These matters and others surfaced at a round table held in the city that brought together diverse opinion leaders, experts, academics and public representatives to find avenues out of the problem. What has surfaced is the fact that with the bulk of resources controlled by the government at the centre and local representatives having access to a paltry 2.59% of the annual development programme, there is a never ending dearth of resources haunting local government institutions. One feasible way out of this resource-famine is to have more control over financial resources locally. This can come about in two ways: more funds are allocated by the centre underpinned by delegation of financial authority; and, empower local bodies to generate funds locally.
Making all this happen of course will require a lot of willpower and commitment by the government of the day. Despite tall talks, in reality, it is the power at the centre that has been reinforced throughout the decades and not the other way round. This paper has advocated in the past and will continue to do so for strong local governance in the future. For whatever may be the politics at the centre, it is the local bodies and institutions that are closest to the people and should development 'fail' at this stage, it stands to reason that it will fail at the national stage also.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments