ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): In a major breakthrough, the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has decided to further empower Local Bodies representatives by amending the Local Government Act.
The decision to this effect was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq here on Tuesday.
According to the sources, the meeting decided to amend the Local Government Act to grant more powers to the protesting Local Bodies representatives.
They said that the draft amendments approved by the cabinet would soon be tabled in the House for approval.
According to the details, the amendments include the establishment of a Finance Commission to regulate the mechanism for fund allocation to Local Government institutions.
Tenure of Local Bodies
The government is likely to fix the tenure of the Local Bodies for five years while the new Local Councils would be provided land and staff. Posts of secretaries for 95 new union councils would also be filled at the earliest.
The relevant rules would be framed once the amendments to the Local Bodies Act are made. The decision to amend the Act is aimed at strengthening the Local Government system that will surely improve service delivery.
The AJK government had, on Friday, urged local government representatives to call off their planned protest, asserting that consensus-based amendments to the relevant law had already been approved to address issues concerning Local Government institutions.
The appeal was made by four cabinet members at a press conference held a day before a scheduled ‘convention’ of LG representatives from Muzaffarabad division at Burhan Wani Chowk.
They said that the local government representatives are not only part of the government but also its strength as they added that empowering LG institutions and ensuring the provision of funds remain among government’s top priorities.
They said that the amended act has been sent to the Legislative Assembly for approval, leaving no justification for any further protest.
