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MPs 'meddling1 in zila parishads

Administrators demand end to lawmakers' advisory role

SHAKHAWAT LlTON and HASAN JAHID TUSHER
Administrators appointed to the zila parishads (district councils) yesterday demanded the removal of lawmakers from the post of advisers to the councils accusing them of interfering in the local government bodies.
They raised the demand at a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Gono Bhaban, meeting sources said.
The chairmen of upazila parishads (upazila councils) had been demanding the same thing for the last four and a half years
saying the local lawmakers interfere in the upazila councils.
Yesterday, the district council administrators even went a step further and asked Hasina not to give party nomination to some MPs in the next elections for their controversial activities, the meeting sources added.
"They are supposed to advise the district councils but in the name of advice, they are interfering," an administrator told The Daily Star.
The administrator said the MPs had been
forcing the councils to spend the lion's share of the money allocated for the annual development programmes on projects chosen by the lawmakers.
“We cannot independ-ently implement programmes due to their interference," the administrator said requesting anonymity.
Interestingly, some upazila chairmen, who are members of the district councils and have been blessed by their local MPs, speak in favour of their local lawmakers and against the administrators, fuelling conflict, the sources said.
Hasina took note of their demands and said, "I will look into all the issues," an administrator told The Daily Star.
Instead of holding polls to the district councils as per the ruling Awami League’s electoral pledge, the government appointed 61 administrators to as many districts in December, 2011.
It had not even specified their terms of appointment. Most of the administrators were top Awami League district leaders.
The meeting was held yesterday to intensify the publicity of the government's development activities at the districts ahead of the next parliamentary polls, sources claimed.
At least seven administrators spoke at the meeting. They also demanded an increase in the allocation for development programmes in the districts, magistracy power for the chief executive officers of the councils and a change in the Representation of the People Order that would allow them to contest the next general elections.
"We do not get magistrates from deputy commissioners on time to launch a drive to recover government land from grabbers. So, we need the magistracy power for the chief executive officers," an administrator said.
Another administrator said as per the current provision of the RPO, they are holding office of profit which disqualifies them from contesting the parliamentary polls.
In response to the demand for the change in the RPO, the premier directed the LORD secretary to talk to the law ministry to find out if there were any hurdles for the administrators to run in the polls.
On some MPs' controversial activities, an administrator claimed that there were no allegations against any administrator. “You [PM] can consider us to replace those controversial MPs in the next polls," he added.
In response, the premier urged them to carry out their job properly and she assured them of looking into all the matters discussed.