'Reform UP system'

The discussion on 'Significant issues of local government and possible future action' was based on the findings of a survey conducted by the Democracywatch in some union parishads of Mymensingh, Tangail and Gazipur districts.

Taleya Rehman, executive director of Democracywatch, chaired the discussion while Muhammad Jahangir, executive director of Centre for Development Communications, was the moderator.

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Enam Ahmed Chowdhury, chairman of Privatisation Board, Jerina Rahman Khan, deputy chief of Associations in Rural Development (ARD), and Badrul Alam Majumder, country representative of Hunger Project spoke on the occasion.

Wazed Firoz, programme manager of Democracywatch, presented the keynote paper at the discussion.

The survey revealed that people do not know much about the local government system. Besides, lack of fund, transparency and inefficiency of the chairmen and members have weakened the whole system.

Due to autocratic attitude of the chairmen, the members do not find interest in working with them. In many cases necessary standing committees are not formed. Local people and female members are also deprived of their participation in decision making process and development activities.

According to the survey, there is also lack of co-ordination as most of the chairmen and members are not aware about their duties and responsibilities. They are also inefficient in budgeting, asset management and planning.

Government authorities, NGO workers, and local member of parliaments do not discuss with them, said some of the chairmen and members who participated in the discussion.

They said the union parishad gets only TK 4 lakh annually and they do not have any other alternative sources of income to implement their development projects. Lack of building is another big problem to house the office, they added.

Mahbubur Rahman Fakir, an UP chairman, demanded more financial power to implement development projects.