Govt may give more powers to local bodies: LG minister

Prime Minister has no right to dictate the province, says Ghani

HYDERABAD: The provincial government is working over a draft law to provide more authority to the local bodies in Sindh. The Sindh local government (LG) minister Saeed Ghani tacitly suggested this while addressing the local government representatives and talking to the media in Sukkur on Monday.

"The chief minister [Syed Murad Ali Shah] has formed a committee to work over amending the Sindh Local Government Act," said Ghani, adding that besides him, provincial adviser on information Murtaza Wahab and the legal experts of local government are also part of the committee.

"I personally support a local government system in which the authority is devolved to the lowest level," he said. Ghani acknowledged that the existing LG system is not without faults but he said the provincial government seriously wanted to improve the system.

The provincial minister hastened to clarify that Pakistan Peoples Party's Sindh government is not considering further devolution under pressure of the Centre or fulfil wishes of a particular political party. "We are only considering the situation and the room for improvement."

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, whose mayors head the LG bodies in Karachi and Hyderabad, has been demanding devolution of the authority and increase in funds for local bodies. The Sindh Assembly has passed and amended the LG Act 11 times between 2013 and 2017.

He said the provincial government does not want Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf to certify its performance. "Prime minister [Imran Khan] has no right to dictate the province."

Ghani announced that elected LG representatives as well as those selected on reserve seats will be given a monthly honorarium. He warned the LG employees who do not regularly attend their duties that they will get the sack if they immediately didn't end their habitual absenteeism.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2018.