Mismatch between promise and actual delivery

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Shamsul Huq Zahid Nearly 21 months back, the incumbent government had split the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) into two on the plea of difficulty being faced in the delivery of different types of services to an ever-increasing population living in a large area. The ruling alliance ignored stiff opposition to the DCC bifurcation move from its main political rival, members of the civil society and urban planners. Many people had smelt some political motive behind the bifurcation. But complaints are galore these days that the situation, in terms of delivery of services instead of improving, has deteriorated in areas under both Dhaka south and Dhaka north city corporations, headed by bureaucrat administrators. Last Tuesday, a Bengali national daily ran a lead-story on the plight of the Dhakaites seeking services from the two city corporations, deplorable conditions of roads, lanes and by-lanes, poor and inefficient conservancy service etc. Many people requiring birth certificates, trade licences, citizenship certificates, succession certificates and permission to dig roads for utility service connections are being made to wait for a longer period than before and, at times, pay speed money to officials and employees to get things done. The report quoted the service-seekers saying that the muscle-flexing elected ward commissioners had been far more cooperative and helpful to them as they made a comparison between their elected representatives and the un-elected officials. Residents of Dhaka city used to grumble when the elected mayors and ward commissioners were in control of the affairs of a unified Dhaka City Corporation. Their grumbling has only intensified under the bureaucrat-run two city corporations. Despite the fact that Dhakaites had never been happy with the quality of service delivered by the DCC even prior to its spilt into two, they could, at least, manage necessary papers rather easily from the ward commissioners. Greasing palms of a few officials and employees, however, has always been a necessary evil in this respect. But, these days, the sufferings of the people have only multiplied in the absence of elected ward commissioners. For instance, the Dhaka north city corporation without having any sort of consultation with the residents under its command area has hiked the holding tax. Even it has given the hike a retrospective effect from the last quarter of the last assessment year (2012-13), which is very much arbitrary. The administrators, heading two city corporations, do also admit that their appointment for a maximum period of six months, made in accordance with the provisions of the amended DCC (amendment) act, 2011, has turned out to be a stumbling block to ensuring better civic service to the residents of Dhaka city. The six-month tenure of an administrator expires before he/she can have the full grasp of the situation, prevailing in the area under his/her control. Under the given circumstances, the residents of Dhaka city, it seems, want their elected mayors and ward commissioners to run the show as early as possible out of the realization that the elected representatives with all their shortcomings are better deliverers of civic services than the un-elected ones. However, none knows for sure when their aspiration for seeing their elected representatives at the helm of two city corporations would be fulfilled. The people are very much aware that the government has been deliberately delaying the polls of two city corporations under different pretexts. The defeat of the candidates of the ruling Awami League (AL) in five city corporations recently has only marred the prospect of holding such elections anytime before the next general election, due for January next. It is not difficult for the people to understand that the election to a couple of very important local government bodies is being stalled for the sake of partisan political interests at the national level. The ruling alliance government does know that what it has been doing with the two city corporation elections is not at all proper. Yet, it has, apparently, decided to digest all the criticisms coming from different directions on the issue without much protest. There is no denying that city corporations' elections would not guarantee an overnight solution to problems being faced by the residents of Dhaka city. The effective operation of any local government body, more so in the case of a large city corporation, largely depends on the availability of adequate resources and quality of the elected people's representatives. The past history on both counts does not offer any pretty picture. It is hard to predict whether there would be any change in the situation in future. zahidmar10@gmail.com