Bifurcation of DCC one year on
Monday, 3 December 2012
The bifurcation of the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) is now a year old. While initiating the controversial split of the country's largest and most important local government body, the incumbent government claimed the move was necessary to deliver better services to the residents of Dhaka city. Many political parties and local government experts opposed the move and smelt a political motive behind it. Yet the government thought it proper not to take such opposition into consideration and amended the Local Government (City Corporation) Act-2009 to create two city corporations and later took recourse to its provision to appoint administrators, drawn from the bureaucracy.
It is unlikely that elections to two city corporations would be held soon. But after a year since its bifurcation, any attempt to assess the progress that the government promised to make in areas of delivery of services through the creation of two city corporations to Dhaka residents should not be at all out of place. Residents used to grumble under the elected mayors and ward commissioners and they are doing the same under non-elected administrators and officials at the headquarters and zonal offices of two city corporations. The situation on the ground has changed the least. Rather their sufferings in many cases have increased. The residents of different wards are reportedly facing hassles and being forced to grease the palms of a section of officials of two city corporations in time of collecting certificates issued by the corporations.
Despite the fact that most people residing in different wards were not that comfortable with the elected commissioners, they, however, did not face much problem in getting necessary papers from the latter. In other areas such as maintenance and repair of the roads, conservancy services, mosquito eradication etc., the situation has either remained unchanged or deteriorated. But a stark difference is being felt by the residents in the matters of making their complaints. There is none around to whom the residents of different wards would go and explain their problems. In the absence of ward commissioners who are considered as eyes and ears of the mayors of a city corporation, it is not possible for the elected mayors or so-called administrators to deliver proper services to the millions of residents of a mega city like Dhaka.
Roads, lanes and by-lanes of some of the wards of two city corporations of Dhaka are in a pitiable condition. Potholes that have developed in a number of major roads are causing difficulties to vehicles for months together. Many roadside drains are seen choked up with dirt and other discarded materials, causing overflow of filthy waters. With the advent of dry season, the mosquitoes are back with full force but the anti-mosquito drive on the part of both the city corporations is being hardly noticed. In addition, there are other civic problems that are not being attended to. In sum, the residents have not got as yet the promised benefits of a bifurcated DCC. Rather, some additional problems are being encountered by them.
The government must have reasons, political or otherwise, behind the split of the erstwhile DCC. But in the absence of their elected representatives, the Dhaka residents are facing more problems. Moreover, effectiveness of a local government body such as that of a large city corporation is largely dependent on the availability of adequate resources and the quality of the people who are elected from time to time to run the show. All city corporations and other local government bodies have the history of running short of both. Unless and until an improvement takes place in both the cases, people would hardly get the services they aspire for. In this case, the bifurcation of the erstwhile DCC has not been of any help so far.
It is unlikely that elections to two city corporations would be held soon. But after a year since its bifurcation, any attempt to assess the progress that the government promised to make in areas of delivery of services through the creation of two city corporations to Dhaka residents should not be at all out of place. Residents used to grumble under the elected mayors and ward commissioners and they are doing the same under non-elected administrators and officials at the headquarters and zonal offices of two city corporations. The situation on the ground has changed the least. Rather their sufferings in many cases have increased. The residents of different wards are reportedly facing hassles and being forced to grease the palms of a section of officials of two city corporations in time of collecting certificates issued by the corporations.
Despite the fact that most people residing in different wards were not that comfortable with the elected commissioners, they, however, did not face much problem in getting necessary papers from the latter. In other areas such as maintenance and repair of the roads, conservancy services, mosquito eradication etc., the situation has either remained unchanged or deteriorated. But a stark difference is being felt by the residents in the matters of making their complaints. There is none around to whom the residents of different wards would go and explain their problems. In the absence of ward commissioners who are considered as eyes and ears of the mayors of a city corporation, it is not possible for the elected mayors or so-called administrators to deliver proper services to the millions of residents of a mega city like Dhaka.
Roads, lanes and by-lanes of some of the wards of two city corporations of Dhaka are in a pitiable condition. Potholes that have developed in a number of major roads are causing difficulties to vehicles for months together. Many roadside drains are seen choked up with dirt and other discarded materials, causing overflow of filthy waters. With the advent of dry season, the mosquitoes are back with full force but the anti-mosquito drive on the part of both the city corporations is being hardly noticed. In addition, there are other civic problems that are not being attended to. In sum, the residents have not got as yet the promised benefits of a bifurcated DCC. Rather, some additional problems are being encountered by them.
The government must have reasons, political or otherwise, behind the split of the erstwhile DCC. But in the absence of their elected representatives, the Dhaka residents are facing more problems. Moreover, effectiveness of a local government body such as that of a large city corporation is largely dependent on the availability of adequate resources and the quality of the people who are elected from time to time to run the show. All city corporations and other local government bodies have the history of running short of both. Unless and until an improvement takes place in both the cases, people would hardly get the services they aspire for. In this case, the bifurcation of the erstwhile DCC has not been of any help so far.