The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partnered with the government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) Local Governance School (LGS) to train the newly elected councilors from merged areas (MA) on local government (LG) system, which has been introduced for the first time in history of MA in Pakistan.
The trainings, supported under the USAID-funded and UNDP-implemented Merged Areas Governance Project (MAGP), took place in Peshawar with a total of 262 tehsil councilors, including 49 women councilors, as well as councilors representing religious minorities from districts Bajaur and Mohmand.
“This is a learning curve for the newly elected councilors, and we support them to understand the devolution of power, the structure and composition of local governments, and the authority and responsibilities of the elected representatives,” said Raluca Eddon, programme manager for MAGP UNDP.
The Secretary Local Government, Elections and Rural Development Syed Zaheerul Islam Shah appreciated the participants’ passion towards learning and said the provincial government has allocated Rs37 billion development budget for the local bodies to improve service delivery.
Azra Gul, a general councilor from Lower Mohmand subdivision, said the training helped her understand the LG system and that she would now serve the women in her community effectively.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 25th, 2022.
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