MPs to call shots in Upazila councils
Monday, 30 March 2009
A parliamentary watchdog has recommended passage of the Upazila Council Bill in such a way that would make elected chairmen virtually toothless, its chairman says, reports bndews24.com.
According to the final recommendations of the parliamentary standing committee on Local Government Ministry, MPs would be the ex-officio advisers to the 482 Upazila councils where the chairmen must accept their recommendations.
The draft bill, placed in parliament on Feb 24, had a section where MPs were made advisers but their recommendations were not mandatory for the councils to pay heed to.
The committee at a meeting Sunday made the Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) the members-secretary to the councils while the elected chairmen would be in charge of planning and monitoring development programmes at the grassroots.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was in favour of making the MPs advisers but not making their recommendations mandatory, had to cave in to the pressure of MPs.
"[The prime minister] deleted a section for making MPs recommendations mandatory," committee chairman Rahmat Ali told the news agency after the meeting at Parliament building.
"But the MPs questioned what was the point to be advisers without work."
He said that the committee, which was the right authority to change draft bills, had unanimously finalised the recommendations and that he would place the report in parliament Monday.
"The committee unanimously recommended that the MPs will be advisers to all Upazila councils which must accept the MPs recommendations," said Ali.
"We have also made the UNOs the members-secretary who will provide secretarial assistance to the councils.
"The Upazila councils, not the Upazila chairman, will implement the recommendations to the MPs," the committee chairman said.
He said as the bill was placed in parliament for the revival of the Upazila Act 1998, the MPs must have the role specified in the act.
The military-installed caretaker government made an ordinance in 2008 and annulled the Upazila Act 1998 in an extra-constitutional move.
According to the final recommendations of the parliamentary standing committee on Local Government Ministry, MPs would be the ex-officio advisers to the 482 Upazila councils where the chairmen must accept their recommendations.
The draft bill, placed in parliament on Feb 24, had a section where MPs were made advisers but their recommendations were not mandatory for the councils to pay heed to.
The committee at a meeting Sunday made the Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) the members-secretary to the councils while the elected chairmen would be in charge of planning and monitoring development programmes at the grassroots.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was in favour of making the MPs advisers but not making their recommendations mandatory, had to cave in to the pressure of MPs.
"[The prime minister] deleted a section for making MPs recommendations mandatory," committee chairman Rahmat Ali told the news agency after the meeting at Parliament building.
"But the MPs questioned what was the point to be advisers without work."
He said that the committee, which was the right authority to change draft bills, had unanimously finalised the recommendations and that he would place the report in parliament Monday.
"The committee unanimously recommended that the MPs will be advisers to all Upazila councils which must accept the MPs recommendations," said Ali.
"We have also made the UNOs the members-secretary who will provide secretarial assistance to the councils.
"The Upazila councils, not the Upazila chairman, will implement the recommendations to the MPs," the committee chairman said.
He said as the bill was placed in parliament for the revival of the Upazila Act 1998, the MPs must have the role specified in the act.
The military-installed caretaker government made an ordinance in 2008 and annulled the Upazila Act 1998 in an extra-constitutional move.