Monday, November 28, 2011

JS may pass bill today to split Dhaka city

Staff Correspondent


Parliament is all set to pass today a government bill seeking to split the city of Dhaka.


A parliamentary standing committee at a meeting on Sunday approved the bill with nominal modifications.


The bill seeks to amend the local government law to divide Dhaka into two cities.


The committee approved the bill in record five days since it got it for scrutiny.


The government introduced the Local Government (City Corporation) (Amendment) Bill 2001 in the House on November 23 and on the same day parliament sent it to the standing committee for scrutiny. 


The Awami League-led government took the move for the hurried split of the historic city in the face of stiff opposition from the civil society, the opposition party as well as the mayor of Dhaka, who even offered resign and stay away from the next city polls in his appeal to the regime not to divide Dhaka.  


The committee on the ministry of local government and rural development is expected to return the bill to parliament today.


The bill on becoming law would empower the government to divide the historic city of Dhaka into Dhaka City South and Dhaka City North.


Unlike the existing local government law, the bill seeking to amend it is silent about the stipulation that a new mayor of Dhaka has to be elected within 180 days of expiry of the tenure of office of a sitting mayor.


Following the amendment the local government law would also empower the government to remove the elected mayor of Dhaka Sadeq hossain Khoka, split the Dhaka City Corporation


into two city corporations and appoint their administrators awaiting election of new mayors of the two new cities.


The bill also proposes dividing the assets and liabilities, records, documents and other materials of the Dhaka City Corporation between the two new city corporations.


Parliament sources said that the session was likely to be prorogued in a day or two.


Members said that the standing committee only dropped two words relating to the qualification of the administrators of the two new city corporations for Dhaka.


They said that the committee dropped the words ‘first class’ from ‘first class public servant’ the stipulated the qualification of officers, the government would be empowered by the amendment to the local government law to appoint as administrators of the two new cities.


Following amendment the local government law would empower the government to appointment civil servants or any other persons, it thinks competent, as administrators until two mayors are elected for the two new cities.


The standing committee approved the bill in five days said its member Nur-e-Alam Chowdhury.


 The meeting over, he said parliament would pass the bill today.


The state minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanak had introduced the bill in parliament on November 23.


Nur-e-Alam said the committee approved a separate bill to amend upazila parishad law and it would also be passed by parliament today.


He said that the tenure of office of the administrator would be 90 days and a new administrator has to be appointed after 90 days.


The existing local government law does not permit removal of an elected mayor or his or her replacement by an appointed administrator.


The bill omitted armed forces from the definition of law-enforcement agencies ruling out deployment of troops during city elections.


Following the amendment to the local government law, 92 wards of the historic city of Dhaka would be divided between the two new cities.


According to it, Dhaka North City Corporation would comprise wards 1 to 55 and Dhaka South City would comprise wards 56 to 92.


In justification of dividing the city the bill says it became difficult to provide civic services to one crore people from one centre.


In its objectives for splitting the city, the bill said that the people were not getting the civic amenities.


On October 31, the cabinet approved the bill for splitting the city of Dhaka.


Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1


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