LB transition teams to begin work this week

Panels formed at provincial, divisional, district, tehsil levels

LAHORE:

Committees notified on Saturday to drum out a plan for smooth transition of the local bodies in Punjab that were restored by the Supreme Court on March 25 have sprung into action by calling their first meetings on coming Friday.

However, the provincial Local Government and Community Development Department (LGCD) appears unclear about the law under which the local governments would be restored. The Punjab Local Government Act 2019 is in the field, while the Local Government Act 2013, under which the restored bodies were elected, stood repealed.

The department has moved a note to the law secretary, seeking his opinion on the matter.

An official said the short order that later was elaborated in the detailed order issued on July 5 had declared only Section 3 of the Punjab Local Government Act 2019 to be ultra vires.

However, the local government department’s law officers were divided on the subject, which is why the law department's opinion was sought.

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A summary was moved to the Chief Minister Office to seek his approval for the transition committees. After obtaining his approval, the LGCD on July 17 notified two committees for operational and two for administrative purposes.

District and tehsil transition committees will be formed for the purpose across the province.

The provincial transition committee will include the special secretary for LGCD, Punjab Local Government Board secretary, and representatives of Regulation Wing of S&GAD, finance and L&PA departments.

However, several local bodies heads alleged that the committees had been formed to further delay their restoration.

They alleged that the Lahore High Court had sought government reply on implementation of the Supreme Court order, so the government had formed the committees to save its skin from charges of contempt of court.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20^th, 2021.