Upazila can be made a viable local government institution

Upazila Parishad is a local government institution introduced by General Ershad. The first election Upazila Parishads was held in 1985. The election was discontinued for more than a decade and a half. The care-taker government of Dr Fakruddin Ahmed took an attempt to hold Upazila Parishad elections before elections to Parliament for tactical reason. However, it did not so happen, believed to be due to tactical reasons. Then Upazila Parishad elections were was held in 2009.
Now, Upazila Parishads are going to have elections in phases. This is interesting. It is being observed that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is also participating in the Upazila polls, though it boycotted the Parliamentary polls held on January 5. It is also true that the Upazila Parishad elections, for that matter elections to all local government bodies, are apolitical elections.
Upazila Parishad is not only an administrative body but also an economic unit having command over the acquisition and expenditure of resources. The elected representatives to this Parishad wield administrative as well as economic powers. These incentives work behind their interests in contesting the elections. The members of Parliament are well aware of it, and in order for them to be at the helm of affairs at the grass roots, they were able to pass laws that enabled them to be advisers to Upazila Parishads. Without their consent, the projects and programmes at the upazilas cannot be undertaken and implemented. Here is the apple of discord between the MPs and Upazila Parishad Chairmen. The discontent also crops up between Upazila Parishad Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Union Parishad Chairman. The latter is the member of Upazila Parishad. Here again the apple of discord is the resources of Upazila Parishad.
The Upazila Parishad fund is composed of government grants, development assistance and local revenue. Local revenue includes ijara (lease) money from hats and bazaars, water bodies, and other tolls and fees. Moreover, various programmes of the government like food for works programme, test relief, gratuitous relief, vulnerable group feeding (VGF) and social safety net programmes are administered through Upazila Parishads. The Local Government Engineering Bureau also implements a large number of projects relating to construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, culverts, development of primary schools and local hat-bazars. It may be mentioned that the 'rural development and rural institutions' sector in the annual development programme (ADP) of 2013-14 of Bangladesh was allocated Tk 66.22 billion which is 10 per cent of total ADP. The whole amount goes to the rural areas. The ADP for 2013-14 also made allocation of Tk4 billion as Upazila Development Assistance. Separate funds are allocated under Social Safety Net Progarmmes, Food for Works Progarmme, Test Relief, VGF, VGD etc.
Different studies as well as public perception clearly indicate serious political rivalry and malgovernance at the Upazilas. These, in most cases, relate to development projects, food for works programme, various social safety net progarmmes etc. There is also question about the leasing process of hats, bazaars and jalmahals (water bodies). Experience suggests that lease or auction prices of these local sources of revenue are valued much lower than what they should be. Political maneuvering is often the main reason.
Upazila Parishad can really play an important role in nation building. Its sphere of activities covers a long list of important areas such as agriculture, livestock, fisheries, co-operatives, education, public health, small infrastructure, public works, disaster management etc. Every Upazila Parishad is supposed to have a master plan, 5 year plan and annual development plan. It has a revenue budget of its own. Every Upazila Parishad announces its budget for every financial year. But most of them do not have their master plans nor 5 years plan. Projects and programmes are found to be undertaken on ad-hoc basis.
Influence of local MPs on various occasions and that of the Upazila Parishad Chairmen determine the fate of the development projects and programmes. The Union Parishad Chairmen who are members of the Upazila Parishad look to the favours of local MPs and Upazila Parishad Chairmen. Those who have good relationship, basically political, with local MPs or Upazila Parishad Chairmen, earn better hold on Upazila Parishad resources. The duties and responsibilities of elected vice-chairmen of Upazila Parishads are not well specified. Therefore, they do not feel comfort in discharging their duties. The Upazila level officers who are ex-officio members of Parishad can not exercise their functions judiciously. They remain under heavy pressure from the local MP and Upazila Parishad Chairman. All these have the potential of misallocation and gross misuse of resources.
Bangladesh has a huge population in a relatively small territory, where decentralization is the key to development. Everybody understands that decentralisation of opportunities and facilities will attract people. For example , availability of quality medical services at district and upazila level will inspire people not to come to Dhaka or for that matter to medical colleges at Chittagong or Syleht or Rajshahi . Attempts were there to provide some medical facilities through creation of Upazila Health Complex. But people can not keep trust on such health complexes in the absence of physicians and medicare. Even if an appropriate doctor is available, appropriate instruments or medicines are not there.
It is true that all upazilas simultaneously cannot be upgraded in terms of facilities. But it is possible to proceed stage by stage. Two-prone initiatives can be taken to strengthen the local government institutions like Upazila Parishad . One is allocation of more resources from the centre to build up infrastructure including quality educational institutions and health care services. The other is good governance aimed at transparency and accountability. Fair election of to Upazila Parishad to bring competent and honest leaders and non-interference by the MPs and administrative high ups can help good governance. There should be, above all, a strong political will to make the Upazila Parishad a viable local government institution.
The writer is an economist &               columnist.   chowdhuryjafar@ymail.com