Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Mehmoodur Rasheed on Wednesday submitted Punjab Local Government (Amend) Bill 2014 in the assembly secretariat.
The opposition leader stated that the amendment bill highlighted provisions that should be accommodated in the Punjab Local Government Bill 2014 in the session starting from May 16. The highlights of the amendment include delimitation with the approval of the Election Commission (EC); holding of election on party basis; returning officers should be from the EC or the judiciary and not from the executive; three seats should be reserved for women at the union council level instead of two; and a person convicted under any law should be ineligible to contest election.
The bill suggested that chairpersons of district health and education committees should be elected and shall work under the chairpersons of metropolitan corporation/municipal committees. The Chief Executives of the Education and District Committees shall work under the supervision and direction of the Chairman of the metropolitan corporation and their term of office shall end with the local government’s tenure, the bill proposed. Anyone defecting his party should stand disqualified. The Provincial Finance Commission shall have nine members and one member from each division of the province elected by the district government chairman and vice-chairman.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 15th, 2014.