Local govt overhaul in the offing

Draft of new law envisages revival of UCs, appointment of municipal magistrates

LAHORE:

A local government system comprising seven types of elected bodies has been proposed in a draft law for Punjab along with a provision for the appointment of municipal magistrates for recovering dues from defaulters.

As per sources, the Local Government Act 2022 envisages a system consisting of district, Tehsil and union councils, metropolitan and municipal corporations, as well as municipal and town committees across the province.

The municipal magistrates will be empowered for recovering dues from defaulters in a bid to increase the revenue.

They will have the power to issue notices and arrest warrants against defaulters of municipal dues.

According to analysts, the local government systems introduced by former president Pervez Musharraf and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government will be rolled back under the new law.

However, the union council system will be restored.

In the new system, instead of the elected members of local bodies, other candidates would also be eligible to contest elections for the posts of lord mayor, mayor and chairperson. Three seats of technocrats have been allotted in the local bodies.

Each union council (UC) will have six wards. The UC chairperson and vice chairperson will be able to contest elections on a party basis as a panel, while a general councilor will be elected from each ward.

Each UC will have three seats reserved for women, two for youths, one labourer and one for religious minorities.

The chairpersons, vice chairpersons and general councilors will be elected by direct vote.

The reserved seats will be filled by the elected members through elections with show of hands.

One-third of the membership of each district council will be reserved for women, six per cent each for labourers and minorities, three seats each for technocrats and youths and two for differently-abled members. The council members will elect their colleagues on the reserved seats.

The metropolitan and municipal corporations will have the same ratio of reserved seats.

Under the new system, the district councils and metropolitan and municipal corporations will be given complete power to impose new taxes in their revenue areas, increase fees, impose fines, seal property, collect toll fee and increase the fees for services, including the water and sewerage tariff.

Any new tax or increase in fees has to be approved by the local body concerned.

The source said the Punjab government had also decided to establish authorities at the district level under the new local body system to ensure transparency and speedy work in all government departments.

The authorities would work under the district council chairperson.

The district tourism authorities will be established to promote local tourism, education authorities for ensuring free education, books and opening of new educational institutions, and transport authorities for coping with the traffic issues in each district.

The district transport authority will issue new route permits for buses, wagons, rickshaws and other modes of transportation.

Similarly, health, population welfare, arts council, social welfare and civil defence authorities will be established at the district level.

Heads of all agencies concerned, deputy commissioners and district attorneys will be permanent members of the authorities. Two experts of the department concerned and a highly educated woman will also be appointed as permanent members.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2022.