SENIOR MINISTER PRESIDED HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON DRAFT BILL OF LB SYSTEM

SEPARATE LOCAL BODIES SYSTEM FOR RURAL & URBAN AREAS IN PUNJAB

SENIOR MINISTER PRESIDED HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON DRAFT BILL OF LB SYSTEM

LAHORE, NOV. 16: Senior Minister Punjab Abdul Aleem Khan has said that the salient features of new local bodies system are being prioritized and it is being decided that there should be visible difference in the rural and urban areas’ systems of the province and there will be no overlapping as well. He said that proposal of introducing “ panchayat “ system in rural areas is also under consideration and now Local Bodies Department will sit together with the Law Department for further process while Advocate General will also be taken on board so that all stakeholders of this system be on one page. Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan disclosed this while presiding over a high level meeting here today where Minister Law Muhammad Basharat Raja, Advocate General and Secretaries of Local Bodies and Law Departments were also present.

Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan stressed that detailed deliberations should be held before putting this bill in the Assembly and we should review this bill from all aspects. He said that holding of new elections is not a joke and we have to ensure that such system is being introduced in which each party has free hand to come forward and contest local bodies elections. Senior Minister informed that in the new system apart from education and health all the concerned departments would be in the domain of local bodies institutions. Water Supply, Sewerage, Farm to Market Roads and Waste Management will also be under the Local Bodies System so that basic issues of the masses could be resolved at local level. He said that as compare to the past’s toothless system this would be most powerful in the political history. Abdul Aleem Khan said that as per directions of the Prime Minister Imran Khan in addition to KPK, systems of developed countries were also studied before finalizing recommendations of new local bodies system in Punjab and it would be ensured that most effective and useful system is being inducted in the province. Senior Minister asked the Secretary Local Bodies to undertake full discussion and ensure clarity on each point. He said that the views of Advocate General should also be sought in this regard so that from legal point of view there should be full cover also. He said that all the stakeholders of Local Bodies System should be on one page and discussions should  he held in this regard.

In the meeting, Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja expressed his views with regard to new local bodies system especially “ panchayat “ in the rural areas. Secretary Local Bodies apprised the meeting on the important features of the new system while Secretary Law told about the legal aspect of new legislation. It was also decided that after getting legal view soon would be proceeded further as soon as possible for introducing new local bodies system in Punjab.