LGRD minister Syed Ashraful Islam says that numerous local government institutions do not ensure democracy. File photoLGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam on Wednesday said the government has no plan to hold district council polls any time soon.
“There’s a process to hold district council polls…the process is underway. On completion of the process, I hope it’ll be possible to establish elected institutions. But it’ll be examined whether there is any necessity of it,” he said.
The minister said this while talking to journalists after a meeting with Deputy Commissioners (DCs) as part of the DCs’ conference at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
In reply to a question whether the local government institutions will be dissolved, the minister said, “It deserves consideration.”
“There’s no use of having unnecessary branches under local government… this is not good for a democratic country…there’s no use of so many local government institutions,” Syed Ashraf said emphasising the need for strengthening the union councils.
About the Divisional Commissioners’ proposal for empowering them to take union council members and municipality councillors for their lapses, the minister said, “They’re elected representatives. As per the law elected representatives can take action against them. In compliance of the law, the minister concerned will take action in this regard.”
Mentioning that the DCs have raised 27 demands in the meeting, Ashraf said that the logical ones will be solved in phases.
Source: Prothom Alo
