Interference undermines status of ups

Orgainsed by Self-Governed Union Parishad Advocay Group, the four-day awakening-training programme is being conducted by The Hunger Project Bangladesh.

"Direct interference of parliament members and ministers undermine the status and authority of the union parishads," said Motiur Rahman Tapan, chairman of Sarda Union in Rajshahi.

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He said the union parishad, a 134-year old local government body, often falls victim to bureaucratic whims and exercise of administrative power overriding the authority of this grassroots level democratic institution of the people.

Executive Director of India's Institute of Social Sciences George Mathew, who attended the inauguration of the training programme, told The Daily Star, "I find the status of local government bodies in Bangladesh disappointing as the functions, functionaries, funds and freedom are not transferred to them."

"Parliament members, who represent the political parties themselves, do not let the local government institutions enjoy their institutional authority making them virtually ineffective and create the major hindrance to their development," he added.

Mathew said the government has to enact adequate laws to restrain the MPs' interference to strengthen the local government bodies.

While inaugurating a web site 'www.local-democracy.org' on the local government issues in Bangladesh, Mathew said local government institutions are not implementing agencies of some other authorities but they are the people's representatives to function independently at local level.

He said empowerment of the grassroots level people was crucial to alleviate massive poverty in South Asian region.