Upazila chairmen and vice-chairmen have unequivocally called for ensuring their legitimate rights for strengthening the local government institutions to institutionalise democracy side by side with establishing good governance.
Terming themselves the nearest people's representatives, they viewed that the hopes and aspirations of the grassroots people couldn't be reflected until their institutional power and responsibilities were ensured.
They made these observations while addressing the Rajshahi Divisional Conference of the
upazila chairmen and vice-chairmen at Uttara Community Centre in the city Saturday.
USAID under its Strengthening Democratic Local Governance programme supported the conference.
In his address of welcome, chairman of Charghat upazila Abu Sayeed Chand outlined the objectives of the conference while SDLG team leader Kajal Chatterjee gave an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the upazila chairmen and vice chairmen and the importance of the local government institutions.
With Godagari upazila chairman Ataur Rahman Khan in the chair, SDLG's chief of party Jerome and its deputy party chief Zarina Rahman Khan, secretary general of Municipal Association of Bangladesh Shamim Al Razi and president of Khulna Divisional Upazila Chairmen and Vice-Chairman Association Golam Mourtoza spoke on the occasion as resource persons.
The speakers said the upazila-level service delivery activities especially the infrastructure development, healthcare, education, livestock, fisheries, family planning and agriculture should be made accountable to the upazila chairmen for ensuring transparency in the activities.
'We have no way but to ensure participation of the people's representatives in the civic services for betterment of the people in general,' said upazila chairman Ataur Rahman Khan.
For successful implementation of the government's uplift programmes he said the upazila
chairmen and vice-chairmen should be given responsibilities for overseeing the implementation process.
Most of the upazila chairmen and vice-chairmen from eight districts under Rajshahi division attended the conference putting forward a set of recommendations on how to strengthen the local government institutions as a whole.
Later, they formed a 21-member executive committee styled 'Rajshahi Divisional Upazila Chairmen and Vice-chairmen Association' headed by Ataur Rahman Khan.
Source : New Age
