The Local Government(LG) System

Almost all the local bodies systems in the advanced democratic countries are working well because(i)the countries have a solid,long tradition of democratic development.(ii)most of the people are educated.(iii)the people are economically well off and satisfied.

In contrast,our country,unluckily(i)does not have any solid tradition of democratic development,(ii)most of the people are uneducated, and many of the educated ones are engaged in anti-social and anti-state activities,(iii)the people mostly are poor,backward and dissatisfied.We have to study the operation of any system,at the grassroots level of local bodies as well as in the higher areas of elected assemblies and provincial and central ministries.

Historically,Ayub Khan and Zia-ul-Haq tried the LG systems in their own ways.They could not work them well because they did not educate the common people suitably nor did they bring about the much needed economic reforms.The little of democracy they introduced was deceptive and misleading.The present LG system is part of a greater decentralization or devolution plan.Under the plan,efforts are being made to make institutions,departments and local units like city and town administrations autonomous.

The structure of the Local Bodies Government has the union councils(UCs) at the house.The people elect the councillors directly.The higher levels of the structure are the Tehsil Councils(TCs) and Zila(district) Councils(ZCs) whose Nazims and Naib Nazims are elected by the Union Council members.Thus,they were elected and formed in the country in July ans August 2001.The elections were partyless under separate electorates.The DCOs work between the Nazims and Naib Nazims and the provincial departments of administration,revenue, etc. and the police have been put under the Nazims.The DCOs are regular civil servants like deputy commissioners and commissioners.It means that the Nazims and Naib Nazims perform general supervisory or social functions while the technical or professional government work is managed and practically controlled by the DCOs and government functionaries like earlier.Further,there is concentration or powers or functions in the Nazims which they probably cannot exercise at t ease.And this,ironically,works against the decentralization basis of the whole system.

The need of the hour is to introduce urgent reforms and changes from the top with the consent of the provinces.These reforms may,in fact, look revolutionary, but they are essential.The loss of magnificent leadership at the top cannot be made good through the unwise supply of petty and puny leaders at the bottom,who do not have the required ability or power.They very recent revival of the commissioners on the civil service pattern may be an answer to some of the administrative needs.The revival of magistrates is also being demanded by the public.