Local command

The PTI is set to take control of local governments in Punjab, pushing away the PML-N’s influence at the grassroots level through the new Punjab local government bill 2019 now signed by the Punjab government. Under the new local bodies system, municipal and mohalla councils will be set up in urban areas and tehsil and village councils in rural areas. A local government commission will be formed, consisting of nine members including a chairperson. The formation of the commissions is to take place within six months of the bill being imposed. The chairperson of the commission will be a municipal minister while other members will be elected from the Punjab Assembly or be appointed by the provincial leader of the house and opposition.The new local government system, pushed through by the PTI, replaces the previous system of local councils. The PTI has held that the law will enable it to turn into reality its vision of handing over power to the people. There should be some question however over how it improves upon the previous method of doing just the same. Could their true purpose be that existing councils in the Punjab were strongly dominated by the PML-N? Of course, much will depend on how the system is run and in what manner it is implemented. Certainly, power needs to be revolved to the grassroots level. But this should happen without direct control from the ruling party of a province.In the present system, the commissions created are likely to be controlled by the ruling party given the number of members it is appointing to them. The purpose of local government must be to devolve power effectively. So far, our systems have largely failed to achieve this in real terms. We need to see evidence that this system will be different. None is as yet available. There is also the question of whether the previous system needed to be disrupted at all. One of our problems in democracy has been the tendency of each successive government to throw out changes made by previous setups and put in its own institutions and mechanisms. This does not always serve a country well. Too much experimentation means a system cannot develop and grow in strength. When it is terminated prematurely, we fail to understand its weaknesses and strengths, and have to begin again from scratch as new orders come into place with a desire for central control too often determining how local governments are to be run. This of course takes away from their main purpose.

from The News International - Editorial http://bit.ly/2DQdBF1