PESHAWAR: Provincial Information Minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai Monday informed the KP Assembly that the Local Government (LG) elections would he held on time after completion of tenure of present Local Government on August 28, 2019.
He said this during debate on ‘Fund distribution of Local Government system and proposed new LG system’ with Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani chair.
Shaukat Yousafzai said that drawbacks in the present Local Government system was being removed after which next LG elections would be held on time “there is no room for delaying LG elections”. He said that Village Council members would be seven in next elections. KP had the best local bodies system which was successfully catering needs of people at gross root level, he said.
Advisor to CM for IT, Kamran Bangash said that according to Local Government Act 2013, the provincial government held LG election within 90 days as per constitutions requirement. He said that new election schedule would be issued after August 28 when present LG will complete its tenure.
He said that holding LG elections was very important not only to solve problems of people at their door steps but it also provide alternative leadership at provincial level. Record development was completed by KP LG if compared with LG system of other provinces he said.
Earlier, Leader of Opposition Akram Khan Durrani, while triggering the debate, said that whether the government was giving one year extension to present LG across the province or not?. He said that the government claims boosting its LG system but in reality people were protesting on roads and in front of provincial assembly building on various issues.
He questioned as to why LG system was being change now and alleged that draft of LG system was send to Islamabad for approval.
Awami National Party (ANP) Parliamentary Leader Sardar Hussain Babak alleged that 30 percent funds were not allocated as per law to the LG. He further said that PTI government was not willing to hold LG elections but compelled to do so by the Supreme Court.
Babak argued that abolition of district council from the district government setup was not justified as both are interlinked with each other in the local bodies system. He called for holding the LG elections on party basis to the lowest tier of the local bodies system.
Sardar Aurengzeb Nalota of PMLN has complained that last five years of the local government were wasted on experiments by the PTI government. He urged the government to avoid making further experiments in the LG system. He while appreciating that the devolution of power to the gross root level in LG system has suggested that number of councilors should be reduced in the Union Council setup and avoid reducing the number of representatives in the Village Councils.
Maulana Lutfur Rehman of MMA said that the current local bodies system was a total failure as districts budgets of several districts could not be passed in first two years of the four years term. He suggest proper training and working sessions for the LG reps as in the previous tenure majority of the councilors elected were unaware of the LG roles and regulations.
Former LG minister and MMA lawmaker Inayatullah Khan strongly opposed the deletion of district council set up from the LG system being proposed for the upcoming elections.
He recalled for drastic changes in the LG system and maintained that Rs30 billion were allocated for district government in Annual Development Program but the high official of LG informed that actual amount is Rs29 billion out of which only Rs14 billion was released.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Youth Welfare Endowment Fund Bill, 2019, The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Youth Development Commission Bill, 2019 were adopted in the House.
Later, the Speaker adjourned the proceeding till 1:30pm on Tuesday.
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