The much touted and long awaited local self government in KPK
was launched a year ago. Structure of the system ostensibly manifests
convenience and prospects for a larger public interest. The concept of
village/neighborhood council signaled departure from the previous system of
union council which was a broader body. The new system was introduced with a
view to provide services to the people at their doorsteps, the concept of VC
and NC was a step in this connection. However, in practice things happened
quite differently.
Before the launch of the system it was given overdue
emphasis, and the people especially the candidates for the councillorship, were made to believe that they will get all they needed, once the system is launched.
People participated with great enthusiasm and passion. The candidates were
expecting a great deal of power they will be given once they get elected into
the offices. But once the system was launched it turned into a damp squib and
their lofty expectations were shattered. It is therefore we observe members of
the local government stage protest against the provincial government for the
realization of their “due” demands.
The perks and privileges which they were told to be given
were deducted to a large extent, and the power they were pledged to be devolved
to them are still not seen. All these factors have added to their frustration.
The only options they are left with, are the available resources which they
have to fall back upon ad make most of them for their own vested interest. This
adds to a growing scale of corruption at the lower level. Expectations of the
newly elected counselors were badly frustrated when their perks were minimized,
their powers were not clearly mentioned, and their funds saw a major cut.
Another dark side of
the system is evident in the rural areas in particular. The concept of village
council/neighborhood council was introduced with a view to devolve the power a
step yet further from the union council, but in practice the concept was not
materialized. The underlying purpose was to give people services at their
doorstep but in practice it turned into a different way. The offices of the
village council/neighborhood council have been established out of the
jurisdiction of their respective councils which is a blatant violation of the
spirit of the system of local government.
The system really went short of the expectations of the
people, and the resources spent on the initial setup in many aspects amount to
wastage. The village council/neighborhood council offices and expenditures
pertaining thereto are also questionable in many ways.
The concept of devolution, no doubts, deserves praise and is
a good step towards realization of concept of local self government. But the
system needs to be made coherent, objective oriented, and accountable at all
levels. The virtue of transparency and the culture of accountability need to be
introduced into the system. The system needs to be accompanied by projects of
awareness among the local regarding their status of being political citizen and
participatory shareholder of the system. One aspect in which the system seems
quite deficient is the lack of powers, prospects and encouragement for raising
revenue at the local level. Parasitic dependence on finances from provincial
government is not a viable prospect for the sustainable development of the
system. The system in order to strike firm roots needs to have its own ways and
means of finances. The local councilors need to be encouraged for raising their
own revenue, to identify the potential areas of revenue for their own as well
as for the district and provincial government. Finances is essential for
running the system of local government and for this they must be made not to
depend on pouring finances from provincial
government but to raise their own revenue even at the village council level.
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