Rewiring the LG system

Provinces need freedom to tweak their LG governments as they wish

Any proposed tinkering with the local government systems in the provinces has to be undertaken on the broad principle that political, financial and administrative powers are meaningfully transferred to either district, union councils and village councils (whichever best suits the needs of a province and its people). It is far better not to coerce any province into adopting the LG system that the ruling party has been developing as long as powers are devolved well. Otherwise the burden of system failure could easily be passed on to the author of that system. It makes sense to allow provinces the freedom to tweak their LG governments the way they want to — without of course running the same aground. An overriding objective of the new system is to avoid any duplication of work — union councils will handle sanitation, streetlight and sewerage, union councils would handle sanitation, streetlight and sewerage, leaving basic health and education to district councils. This would be handy as it would reduce chances of friction and petty squabbling over resources.

The only troubling aspect of a province settling for one option or the other — village councils versus union councils — is the forbidding costs involved. Though the argument for creating village councils in any province especially Punjab is overpowering, it is perhaps a little unrealistic to expect the province to cough up a sum of money running into billions on the venture given the sheer number of villages in Punjab. In a less populous province it would not be such a daunting task. Still, if the ruling PTI was to match its ambitions and plans with the cash injections needed for the same, the government should break little sweat over it.

If the PTI can’t spare the extra cash, Punjab will be forced to persist with union councils. This will be tragic because to begin with union councils are riddled with inequalities stemming from disenfranchised electorates. A fair number of union councillors were chosen by those elected through adult franchise. Since they are beholden to them, one should not expect any accountability or proper oversight. Local governments can be effective only if its members use their position for public services.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2018.

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