Grassroots people need good governance in LGIs: Speakers

RAJSHAHI, July 1 (BSS): Speakers at a participatory discussion underscored the need for ensuring good governance in the local government institutions (LGIs) to make those fully functional, democratic and transparent entities for welfare of the grassroots people.

They viewed that most of the rural people are largely dependent on the local government bodies especially Union Parishad and Upazila Parishad to meet up their basic needs so the roles and responsibilities of the union and upazila parishads must be realistic. Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation-Bangladesh under its 'SDC Local Governance Programme- Sharique' organised the pre-iftar advisory committee meeting at a city hotel Tuesday.

Zerina Rahman Khan, Professor of Department of Public Administration of Dhaka University, and Garhard Van 't Land, Expert of Local Governance and Public Sector Management, attended the meeting as observers sharing views on various local governance issues. In his presentation, AFM Amir Uddin, Regional Coordinator of the project, gave an overview of the role of advisory committee, present local government bodies and its activities, problems and prospects. He observed that proper and effective functioning of the Union Digital Centre could supplement implementation of the Rights to Information Act at the rural level.

Upazila Chairmen Prof Mokbul Hossain, Union Parishad Chairmen Sazzad Hossain Mukul, President of Rajshahi Union of Journalists Akbarul Hassan Millat, Regional Manager of Prip Trust Saiduzzaman Sipon and Programme Facilitator of DASCOH Jahangir Alam Khan also spoke.

The discussants said all the existing services being delivered towards the grassroots people need to be more coordinated and accelerated.