Local government: SLGO 1979 transition extended for four months

More discussions will take place once Pir Mazharul Haq returns.

KARACHI: The transition period of the local government system of 1979, which was expiring in February, has been extended by four months.

Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss a timeframe. The government had three months to implement the old system (compared to SLGO 2001) but it had failed to because of many complications. This is why an extension was considered. Minister for Local Government Agha Siraj Durrani engineered it.

According to CM House, district councils have been brought back and deputy commissioners given charge. According to the 1979 law, the deputy commissioners control municipal committees and union councils, while commissioners control the divisions. The government can appoint administrators to district councils.

More discussions will take place once Senior Minister for Education Pir Mazharul Haq returns from abroad.

Wednesday’s meeting was attended by Durrani, law minister, Ayaz Soomro, Chief Secretary Raja Muhammad Abbas, Principal Secretary to the Governor Mumtaz-ur Rehman, Special Secretary to the CM Hafeez Abbasi, Local Government  Secretary Ali Ahmed Lund, Law Secretary Ghulam Nabi Shah, Karachi Commissioner Roshan Ali Sheikh and Karachi Administrator Muhammad Hussain Syed.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2012.