Sindh Assembly passes local government bill amid opposition's protest

The Sindh Assembly passed on Saturday the amended local government bill amid the opposition's protest.

The Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was presented in the house by Nasir Hussain Shah. The new law is an attempt to centralise the provincial governance system, leaving the local government scant with little powers and functions.

Opposition parties in the Sindh Assembly strongly protested and tore the copies of the agenda when the house gave clause-by-clause approval to the bill. They also surrounded the speaker's dias and raised slogans.

Addressing the floor of the assembly, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that the bill was as per the will of the people of Sindh, rejecting reports that the government has taken powers from local bodies to collect tax.

Sindh Assembly passes amendments to LG law

He further said that Pakistan Peoples Party wanted to re-introduce the system of towns in Sindh’s urban areas, saying that district commissioners and administrators are running Sindh’s cities and towns who are not elected democratically in a local government election.

Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2021

Scores of powers, functions and departments of the local government system were allowed to the Sindh government. The term of local government will be four years from the day of oath.

It replaced the District Council with a new Municipal Corporation, as population of a municipal town will be up to 125,000. None of the rural part will be in the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Corporation.

ECP reserves verdict on Sindh govt's plea to bring new LG law

The legislation also abolished the districts in the proposed Metropolitan Corporation and brought in town system. The election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor’s will be made through secret balloting instead of show of hands.

All those hospitals run by the KMC including: Karachi Medical and Dental College; Abbasi Shaheed Hospital; Rafiqui Shaheed Hospital; Sobhraj Hospital and Leprosy Center; will now be handed over to the Sindh government.

The KMC will no longer be able to make birth and death certificates; and run infection disease department. However, public toilets will still remain under the KMC administration.