Editorial
Invigorate local government system
It is the way to strengthen democracy
THERE are no two opinions about the role of local government in giving democracy a firm footing and strengthening its institutions from grassroots level. And nobody can contest either its central role in a country's overall development. However, the institution of local government in Bangladesh, in spite of its huge potential has so far not been able to unfurl its full potential. And that is not because of the institution itself but how the system had been or not been utilised by the powers that be.
One of the reasons why the local government bodies were hamstrung was because of their lack of economic clout and the exercise over them of more than the necessary control, centrally from Dhaka. Of course, there was also the political interference apart from the bureaucratic indifference they had to contend with. There is a general agreement also that developments at the grassroots level can be cost effective only through bottom up planning at all the appropriate levels, be it the village or the union. That had not been the story in our case.
The sine qua non for a developed Bangladesh is development of the villages and empowerment of the people in the rural areas. Thus the recommendations of the seminar held recently in the capital on 'Financing local governments: Perceptions at grassroots level' deserve the consideration of the government. If the union council or municipalities have to look up to Dhaka constantly for monetary support, and the bureaucrats are only too happy to retain the control of the purse strings, the institution will continue to suffer from inadequacies.
And there are many ways the local governments can be made reasonably self-financing some of which found mention in the recommendations of the seminar, like levy from local bazaars, ferries, water bodies etc. There is also merit in the suggestion that the government grants must be on a pro rata basis, keeping in mind the size and the population of the area, and not a lump sum grant influenced by political considerations; and the grant should be at least 40 percent of the ADP and given at the beginning of the fiscal year. The government should also note the recommendations made regarding freeing the local governments from all kinds of political interferences.
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