Elected members of local bodies with nothing to do
Monday, 29 November 2010
The government, as it seems, has no intention to change the old way of running things at the local level. The elected upazilla chairmen have been wasting their days without proper responsibilities and other set-ups to be able to do their expected developmental works with any effectiveness.
Upazilla Nirbahi Officers (UNOSs) and other higher officers in the central bureaucracy are in charge of running things at the local level. Furthermore, the members of parliament (MPs) have otherwise been made the de facto bosses of the upazilla chairmen and upazilla council members in most respects and the former are breathing down the necks of the latter. The local government ordinance adopted by the caretaker administration was rejected by the present government to retain the status quo at the local level. So, the question cannot help but arise : why the upazilla elections were held at such costs when elected persons are not being facilitated properly to discharge their due responsibilities. Why is this great waste of resources and finances?
It has crystallized over time that strengthening the local government mechanism and channeling greater resources to it, are very necessary in the context of Bangladesh for truly encouraging useful developmental activities in non-urban areas. But it does not seem that the country’s political leadship at the centre have given enough thoughts to such issues and even formed a rough plan about proper development-oriented decentralization. However, they can perhaps be sensitized afresh by the media, think-tank bodies and others to reprioritize to push up developmental decentralistion higher up in their agenda.
Amir Khasru
Nasirabad,
Chittagong
Upazilla Nirbahi Officers (UNOSs) and other higher officers in the central bureaucracy are in charge of running things at the local level. Furthermore, the members of parliament (MPs) have otherwise been made the de facto bosses of the upazilla chairmen and upazilla council members in most respects and the former are breathing down the necks of the latter. The local government ordinance adopted by the caretaker administration was rejected by the present government to retain the status quo at the local level. So, the question cannot help but arise : why the upazilla elections were held at such costs when elected persons are not being facilitated properly to discharge their due responsibilities. Why is this great waste of resources and finances?
It has crystallized over time that strengthening the local government mechanism and channeling greater resources to it, are very necessary in the context of Bangladesh for truly encouraging useful developmental activities in non-urban areas. But it does not seem that the country’s political leadship at the centre have given enough thoughts to such issues and even formed a rough plan about proper development-oriented decentralization. However, they can perhaps be sensitized afresh by the media, think-tank bodies and others to reprioritize to push up developmental decentralistion higher up in their agenda.
Amir Khasru
Nasirabad,
Chittagong