Union Parishads
Ruling party interferes in safety net programmes
Local ruling party leaders influence all Union Parishad (UP) activities and compel elected UP chairmen and members to hand over to them a portion of the government's social safety net programme allocations to distribute those themselves, alleged the chairmen yesterday.
“The leaders take away 50 percent of the allocations, like test relief and allowance for old people. An exception occurred only during the last caretaker government,” said one chairman, Mostafa Kamal.
“People voted us to power and we are accountable to them. But the ruling party men do not have any responsibility towards the people,” said Kamal, chairman of Jahangirpur Union Parishad of Nandail in Mymensingh.
The chairmen were addressing a meeting, “Lessons learned: sharing session on social mobilization and accountable local governance towards creating MDG unions”, in the capital's Jatiya Press Club. Brac's Community Empowerment Programme and The Hunger Project, Bangladesh jointly organised the meeting.
Another chairman, Mohammad Kamruzzaman Lebu, of Ghogha Union Parishad of Muktagachha in Mymensingh, said, “The local ruling party's president and secretary distribute the allocations but elected union parishad representatives have almost no role in it.”
Speaking as the chief guest, Dr Akbar Ali Khan, former adviser to a caretaker government, said democratic governments work against local governments but despotic governments work for local governments due to misconceptions regarding democracy in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Presenting a keynote, Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, global vice president of The Hunger Project, Bangladesh, said Brac and the project jointly undertook a pilot project, “Social Movement and Accountable Local Government: MDG Unions” at four Mymensingh UPs.
The June 2010-July 2012 project recorded significant success in bringing primary school dropouts back to school, increasing birth registration, birth control and sanitation practices and making public service providers accountable, said Badiul.
The achievements came under the leadership of UPs and spontaneous and voluntary efforts by the locals, he said.
Speaking as the special guest, Shaheen Anam, executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation, said achieving the MDGs requires service providers at public institutions to have sound coordination with public representatives while being accountable to people.
On eradicating violence against women, she said not only law enforcers but also the voluntary participation of people is needed to check the atrocity.
Brac Executive Director Dr Mahbub Hossain chaired the meeting. The Asia Foundation Country Representative Hassan Majumder, UNDP Adviser (local government) Dr Tofayel Ahmed, Prof Salauddin M Aminuzzaman of Dhaka University and Gonoshasthaya Hospital Chairman Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury also spoke on the occasion.
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