President Alvi underlines LG system an effective governance system

President Alvi underlines LG system an effective governance system for power devolution.

President Dr Arif Alvi said this, while addressing concluding session of two-day National Conference 2021 on Local Democracy: Moving Forward.

It held in Islamabad on Wednesday.

President Alvi underlines LG system an effective governance system

There, he further hailed the local government was an effective governance system providing for devolution of power and resources besides featuring easy access to public.

However, he highlighted the local government a a provincial subject as per constitution.

Moreover, he said the constitution had mention of local government system for around 22 times.

However binding the provinces to set up the system and the state had a role to encourage.

He said since inception, the country had witnessed an old struggle of power and resources as every government tried to achieve maximum of both.

The President referred to a historic account of local government system.

He said Ayub Khan had introduced BD system to serve own vested interests.

Furthermore, he said the local government system existed even some 3000-4000 years ago.

The evidence of communal living found in Moenjodaro remains making Indus civilization the only one to have such organized system including planned roads, sewerage and even toilets.

He said though the local government was a devolved subject; however it was essential to implement it in accordance with the constitutional spirit for resolution of public issues without any hassle.

President Alvi earlier distributed souvenirs among the heads of local councils associations.

The Presidential wants govt to do

He told the gathering of elected local government representatives to identify the problems, learn from past mistakes, carry out future planning and ensure effective implementation.

Referring to the Islamic history, the president said whenever the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) assigned some responsibility to anyone, he strictly advised him to keep up public contact, adjust the living standard as per the people to know their problems.

The president said the local government system featured 5Ds including devolution of power, distribution of resources, diffusion of authority, deconcentration of management and decentralization of service cadre.

Meanwhile, Head of Operations of European Union Ovidiu Mic said the EU highly valued the local government system as citizen’s participation in democracy.

He further said that the decision making would bring about effective governance.

He said being close to people, the local government was also a catalyst to development.

Chairman Local Councils Association of Punjab Tahir Iqbal Chaudhry, President Association for Development of Local Governments in Pakistan Rajan Sultan Pirzada, President of Local Councils Association of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Himayatullah Mayar also addressed the gathering.

GTV