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LGC sees red light 4 months into formation

Rakib Hasnet Suman
The initiative for ensuring local government bodies' transparency and accountability and the balanced development across the country is likely to be hampered as the local government commission (LGC) is set to lose its effectiveness.
The parliamentary special committee recommended not to ratify the ordinance on LGC, which the caretaker government promulgated last year.
The LGC was formed to make recommendations on how to strengthen local government bodies and it may lose its effectiveness on February 24, less than four months after its formation.
The plan for making upazila parishads operational and held accountable for their actions, a separate national budget for local government Institutions, local government service structure, a policy for ensuring equal resource distribution to all areas and ensuring balance development may not get the due focus if the activities of the commission are stopped.
Official sources believe the commission could have formulated a policy so that the areas where opposition leaders are elected representative would not be deprived of due allocation for development work.
When asked, LGC Chairman Muhammad Faizur Razzaque yesterday told The Daily Star, "If the commission stays effective, it could help the government by giving necessary recommendations to strengthen the local government bodies."
Replying to a question, he said. "Besides ensuring balanced development, the commission as an institution could play a vital role in making the local government bodies accountable for its actions and their activities more transparent."
The last caretaker government promulgated the ordinance on LGC May 11, 2008, but the commission was formed on November 1. Government appointed the chairman on November 9.
The government did not inform the LGC anything about its future.
When asked, Tofael Ahmed, member of the commission, said, "We are in the dark."
Sources said the commission already placed an impor-
tant proposal before the local government ministry where it suggested that local government bodies make their own annual and five-year development programme and draft budget in line with (he national plan through discussions with locals.
When asked about the proposal, the LGC chairman said, "We made some propos als as the upazila parishad is set to start activities and I think it will be helpful for the government."
He also said they want upazila parishad to involve locals in decision-making meetings which even the local lawmaker can preside over. Transparency and accountability has to be ensured, he added.
On the commission's necessity, Tofael told The Daily Star, "The commission can play a role in ensuring proper expenditure of local government bodies' funds through monitoring."
"A separate national budget for local government bodies can be placed before the parliament by the local government minister as there are six city corporations, 481 upazilas, 64 districts, 309 municipalities and about 5,000 union parishads," he said.
Sources said the LGC was also planning to urge the finance ministry to allocate money for local government bodies with due emphasis and mentioning it clearly in the national budget.
People concerned fear the ideas and plans of the commission are going to fall flat as the ordinance is not going to be ratified.