Punjab hoping to introduce new municipal system by June

Municipal corporations will be set up in the cities along with neighbourhood councils

RAWALPINDI: Even though its term extends until next year, the current municipal system in Punjab could be soon replaced with a new system which will extend powers to the elected representatives. Moreover, the district council system will be abolished and the powers of the district council will be transferred to the Tehsil level.

According to drafts of the proposed system, the municipal system of cities would be called “Municipal Corporations” while an elected lord mayor will serve as its head.

These corporations, however, will be for the large cities while the smaller cities will have a watered down version called municipal committees.

Moreover, there will be as many as 2,400 neighbourhood councils in every city while elections of metropolitan, municipal corporation and municipal committees will be held on a political basis.

Political parties will have the authority to form panels and will be allotted electoral symbols.

Further, the elections for neighbourhood councils in cities and ‘panchayat councils’ in villages will be held on a non-political basis.

In these councils, the person with the most votes will become the head of the council.

The government expects some 22,000 panchayat councils to be set up across Punjab which will resolve small disputes and issues, apart from handling document attestations and such.

Base education criteria for the mayor and lord mayor will be defined.

The neighbourhood councils will have general, labour, women and youth representation.

The existing 3,100 union councils in Punjab will be dissolved.

Moreover, municipal representatives will be provided control of health, education and small taxes along with the power to approve the establishment of new schools and new recruitments. They will also monitor different health drives and will exclusively control development projects of up to Rs5 million.

Provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat has said that village councils will be granted funds worth Rs40 billion every year.

Provincial Parliamentary Secretary Adnan Chaudhry said that the new municipal system was revolutionary and will truly empower the people.

He added that a draft bill of the new municipal system will soon be presented before the cabinet and that it will be enforced before Eidul Fitr after approval from the assembly.

He said the new system will help bring the educated class into grassroots politics and said the neighbourhood council in the cities will comprise of seven to nine councillors.

Chaudhry said the elections according to the new system are expected to take place between March and May 2020.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2019.