Expert for empowering local govt system

JHELUM:

Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO) Executive Director, Syed Kausar Abbas has said the Punjab government should enact effective legislation to empower the local government system in the province.

While talking to the media the other day, he further said that local development funds should be spent by elected local representatives rather than administrators and members of national and provincial assemblies. All political parties and stakeholders should be consulted for effective and empowered legislation, immediately terminate the administrator system and ban all funds and projects. Empowered local government and inclusive local development is the real democracy, he said.

Abbas said that the law of local governments is not properly promulgated yet which needs to be developed in consultation with all the stakeholders of Punjab including civil society, local government institutions and political parties. For the past several years, the system of local governments has been inactive, which is a question mark on democratic governments. It is a violation of Article 140-A of the Constitution of Pakistan.

The government should immediately start the consultation process with all stakeholders and make effective legislation so that local representatives can solve public problems at their doorsteps, he said.