Local governments: One year on, funds start to trickle

Govt to disburse money via DCOs to set up offices, procure furniture

LAHORE: As an interim arrangement, the Punjab government has decided to issue funds to existing town and tehsil administrators and union council secretaries to make the new local government system functional in the province.

The finance department has already released Rs650 million for procurement of furniture and other office equipment for establishment of new local government offices.

The local government and community development department recently issued a circular elaborating the procedure of disbursement of funds to all district coordination officers (DCOs).

Existing town or tehsil administrators and union council secretaries, as per the interim decision, will be responsible for procurement of office furniture and equipment and matters related to the establishment of new local governments in the provinces.

All payments will be made through joint accounts of DCOs and local government assistant directors.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Punjab Chief Minister’s Adviser Khawaja Ahmad Hassaan said the government made this interim decision to ensure transparency.

“Once the new local government system is in place and the finance commission is constituted, the government will streamline funds distribution and the disbursement mechanism,” he said.

Elections for mayors, deputy mayors and on reserved seats for women, labour, peasants, minorities and youth in local bodies have yet to take place for completing the local government system in the province.

Responding to a question, Hassaan said nearly 99% union councils were functional in the province.

The government has also issued funds to the newly established union councils for meeting day-to-day expenses for smooth functioning. “If there is no office, the government has paid rent for the union council office,” he said, adding there might be a few union councils that could not have established their offices yet.

However, Union Council 219 Vice-Chairman Col Ehsan Ahmad complained nearly a year had passed but the government had failed to establish local government system in the province.

He underscored most public representative were functioning from their drawing rooms as the government did not provide them office space or staff yet. “This (UC-219) is a new union council so we are looking towards the provincial government to get space for office and other resources,” he maintained.

Another public representative, Chaudhry Kashif Hanif from UC-215, said the new union councils were still in a hung state. Most public representatives are running the show from their own pockets.

The first phase of local government elections was started in Punjab by end-October while the newly elected chairmen and councillors took oath of their offices in mid-January.

Though elections on most local government seats have been held, the system is still incomplete as elections for the top slots have yet to be organised.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2016.