The government is likely to revive the financial system of the upazila parishads by amending the local government act to empower them financially to enhance their domination on the public servants.
The initiative was taken considering the demands of the upazila parishad chairmen and following a recommendation of the national committee for reviewing the inconsistencies in the upazila parishad law.
The local government ministry has prepared a proposal for amending the law in the light of the recommendations put forward by the national committee led by Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan.
It would be sent to the prime minister first and then to the cabinet, ministry officials told the Dhaka Tribune.
However, Monzur Hossain, senior secretary of the Local Government Ministry, refused to make any comment in this regard.
Deputy Secretary Sobur Hossain told the Dhaka Tribunethat the initiative was at its primary stages.“It is not yet finalised. The ministry is considering the recommendations of the national committee,” he said.
Officials said the national committee had recently approved the recommendations of a sub-committee led by Local Government Department’s Additional Secretary Shah Kamal.
The sub-committee proposed the government to revive the 1984 upazila parishad financial system to empower the local government bodies.
According to the proposal, the ministries and divisions will hand over the funds to the local government division. The division will disburse the fund in favour of the upazilaparishads.
According to ministry officials, financial authority of the parishadswill eliminate the conflict between the upazila level government high officials and the upazila chairmen.
The leaders of the upazila parishad chairmen’s association also agreed to the government’s thought.
Harun-or-Rashid Hawlader, a leader of the association, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The initiative is very positive. It will establish the parishad’s authority over the public servants, if the law is amended in line with the decision.”
He also suggested the government to amend the provision that governed the nomination process of the members of the upazilaparishad.
“The chairmen of union parishad dominatethe process of nominating members for the upazila bodies even though they are not elected members,” he added.