The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Calling upon the representatives of local government institutions to discharge their responsibilities with utmost sincerity for greater interest of the nation, Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday said his Government would decentralise power through strengthening the local government bodies.

"As an elected representative, you have enormous responsibilities and people expect transparent, neutral and accountable services from you," he said, adding there is no alternative to establish good governance in local government levels in flourishing democracy in the country.

He said the Caretaker Government would implement recommendations of the Committee for Accelerating and Strengthening the Local Government Institutions through vesting authorities in the local government bodies and freeing them from unnecessary intervention of the MPs.

Decentralisation of central Government's power through strengthening the local government institutions would help build a true participatory democratic system in the country, he added.

The Chief Adviser said this while inaugurating the Conference-2008 of the Elected Representatives of Local Government Institutions at the National Parade Square in the capital.

According to sources, around 10,000 elected representatives of local government institutions- Union Parisads, Pourasabhas, and city corporations, attended the conference.

Presided over by LGRD Adviser Md Anwarul Iqbal,

the inaugural function was addressed by LGRD Secretary Sheikh Khurshid Alam and Chairman of the Committee for Accelerating and Strengthening the Local Government Institutions Dr A M M Shawkat Ali.

Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed, Regulatory Reforms Commission Dr Akbar Ali Khan and Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman Lt General (retd) Hashan Mashhud Chowdhury addressed the plenary session of the Conference.

Joint Secretary of LGRD ministry Mizanur Rahman read out the summary of the report on Accelerating and Strengthening the Local Government Institutions at the inaugural ceremony.

Referring to various demands of the elected representatives of local government institutions, the Chief Adviser said the Government was very much aware of their administrative and financial problems.

In this context, he assured them of increasing their monthly honorarium in line with the recommendations made by the committee on Accelerating and Strengthening the Local Government Institutions.

Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed said the present Caretaker Government has been trying to play an effective role on different important matters aimed at giving democracy a strong footing towards the path of ensuring good governance.

"It will be such an arrangement where the rights of people and their participation in all development efforts will be ensured,' he added.

Listing various steps taken by the Government, he said the government after assuming office has taken a number of pragmatic steps to establish good governance ensuring law and order along with taking steps in holding a free, fair and neutral election by 2008.

He said the works for strengthening the election commission and preparation of a flawless electoral roll with photographs are progressing fast to hold a credible and acceptable parliamentary poll.

The Chief Adviser said the government is providing all necessary support to implement the election road map announced by the Election Commission (EC).

Advisers, representatives of development partners and high civil and military officials were present on the occasion. About the government's ongoing anti-corruption drive, Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed said his Government has undertaken an all out initiative to free the society from the curse of corruption.

He said the Government along with its ongoing drive against corruption is implementing various programmes to recover government lands from grabbers and conducting operations against extortionists and terrorists.

He said the Government was taking steps against the institutional crimes side by side individual one as the ongoing drive against corruption has achieved tremendous success for establishing social justice and good governance.

The Chief Adviser called upon the elected representatives of local government bodies to play their firm role to build a social movement against all sorts of corruption.

Referring to the report submitted to him by the committee on accelerating and strengthening the local government institutions, he said there was a detailed description in the report including manpower structure, election process, eligibility of candidates and transparency and accountability in decision making process of the local government bodies.

He expressed the hope that the report and the recommendations put forward by the committee would help build a strong transparent and accountable local government structure.

The Chief Adviser said the Government has already directed the concerned authorities to examine the recommendations and take initiatives to implement those within the shortest possible time.

About price hike of essential commodities, he said the Government has taken some pragmatic steps to bring some positive impact on markets.

He said the Government has already taken steps to import 10 lakh tonnes of rice from different rice exporting countries, including India, Thailand and Vietnam to reduce the price hike.

Laying emphasis on increasing agricultural production to face the situation in future, he said we have also taken various measures to produce 28 lakh tonnes of urea fertiliser for distribution among the farmers in time.

Apart from this, he said steps have also been taken to provide HYV (High Yielding Variety) seeds to the farmers and ensuring uninterrupted power supply to boost production.

He also expressed hope for a bumper Boro production in the upcoming IRRI/Boro season.

Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed said the country has experienced two floods and a devastating cyclone in last year that left some adverse impact on the economy as rice are being distributed among the Sidr-affected people against 26 lakh VGF cards.

Besides, he said during the floods the government has distributed rice among the victims through its Test Relief programme in the flood-hit areas.

No Government had ever experienced three consecutive natural disasters in a single year, he added.

The Chief Adviser said the Government with the help of all concerned had been able to face the aftermath of the natural calamities successfully.

He sought all out cooperation from all to implement the rehabilitation programmes in the Sidr-hit areas in a transparent manner.