DCC split, in order to ensure better services: PM

Bangladesh singing bath Sangstha. Dhaka

The Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, said that the Dhaka City Corporation into two parts divided has been decided in order to ensure better services for their citizens.

' It is not true that we are Division Dhaka, would remain in its original form. But we are two city form companies with the enlarged areas of Dhaka City, "she said."

The Prime Minister has this taking of the oath-taking ceremony of the Mayor and city councillors of Narayanganj City Corporation in her Office on Sunday.

Hasina, said that divide a Bill Dhaka City Corporation in the current session of Parliament had been brought, such as the city now to Narayanganj in the Southeast and Tongi in the North converted to by been.

She said, was the number of city dwellers increasing day by day and it was impossible to expand services for people from one point.

'Number of the population, the Government has informed management the police in eight zones, appropriate services,' she added.

The Prime Minister said her Government wanted to strengthen the local government offices to the decentralization of power. "We are tirelessly working for the welfare of the people," she said.

She said her Government believed also in empowerment of people and it had been shown in the NCC elections.

"I had surveys in the open, fair and peaceful atmosphere at all costs to keep under the direction of the authorities, the NCC and the people had exercised their voting rights, as their choice," she said.

The Prime Minister asked the newly elected Mayor and city councillors of Narayanganj City Corporation meet the hopes and ambitions of the townspeople mandate the Corporation has carried out.

In this context, Hasina, announced that her Government full cooperation the lost honour of the port city of Narayanganj restore would extend.

In addition, she said, would special attention to the development of the NCC be given as to the Mayor of the city is a woman, because the believe in empowering women.

Prime Minister of the country, Deputy Chairman of the House and the leader of the opposition are women and the Government has empowerment of women through elections directly for women representatives in the local body polls to ensure.

Earlier, the Prime Minister manages the oath of Office newly elected Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy, while Foreign Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam administered the oath of the members of the Council LGRD and cooperatives.

Ministers, consultants, members of Parliament and defined persons from Narayanganj were carried Khan in the function of LGRD and cooperatives Secretary Abu Alam Shahid.

Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1

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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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Most DCC employees against getting split

Most of the associations and trade unions of the Dhaka City Corporation employees are opposed to the government’s decision to split the corporation into two, purportedly to ensure better service delivery.

The mayor of Dhaka, Sadeque Hossain, told New Age on Friday that all the DCC ward councillors, officials, and employees were against the decision.

The cabinet in its weekly meeting on October 17 decided to divide the corporation into two by amending the Local Government (City Corporation) Act, 2009.

In reaction, on October 24, a DCC board meeting, participated by 120 ward councillors and chaired by the mayor, formed a seven-member committee of ward councillors to inform the government about their unanimous opposition to the decision by submitting memorandums to the government agencies concerned.

The head of the committee, DCC Ward 74 councillor Quazi Abul Bashar, told New Age on Friday that they had already submitted memorandums to this effect to the offices of the local government and rural development minister and state minister, secretary to the LGRD ministry, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the ministry, and 15 lawmakers of Dhaka. 

‘The government should strengthen and delegate more power to the existing corporation,’ Abul Bashar said, adding that the service-providing agencies of the city like the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority, Dhaka Power Distribution Company, Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited, and Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited should be placed under the corporation to ensure centrally coordinated service delivery by them.

Earlier on Wednesday, DCC Officers’ Association general secretary Khandker Millatul Islam told New Age that, if the corporation was split into two, it would increase the lack of coordination between the service delivery agencies of the city and intensify the manpower crisis of the DCC.

He also said, instead of dividing the city corporation, the idea of electing a metropolitan governor, who would control all metro services, could be implemented for ensuring better service delivery. ‘Former mayor the late Mohammad Hanif also supported this idea,’ he added.

DCC Sramik Karmachari Union general secretary SM Mosharraf Hossain Milan urged the government to reconsider the decision. ‘Splitting the corporation into two will increase the waste of money and the level of violence in the city,’ he said, adding that, if one city corporation failed to serve the city dwellers then two city corporations would only produce a chaos.

A capital cannot be divided, maintained DCC Transport Drivers’ and Employees’ Union president Akhter Hossain Dewan.

He said institution of two city corporations in Dhaka would increase the administrative complexities and demanded holding of the overdue DCC elections.

DCC Scavengers’ and Workers’ Union general secretary Abdul Latif said, before making any decision about the government move, they would first observe its implementation. ‘We cannot comment on the matter before identifying any positive or negative effect of the decision,’ he added.   

Mohammad Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan, president of a faction of the pro-Awami League DCC Sramik Karmachari League, said they welcomed the government’s decision to split the DCC into two. ‘It will decentralise the work of different DCC departments and the city dwellers will get services at their expected level,’ he said. 

Mohammad Shah Alam Siraj, president of another faction of the DCC Sramik Karmachari League, said they would also support the government’s decision. ‘We are with our party.’

The mayor, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, said the decision of creating two city corporations was not necessary as the existing one was able enough to carry on doing its duties.

Two city corporations would mean increased administrative complexities, he said and regretted the fact that the government had not discussed with the DCC office bearers before taking the decision.

‘As far as I know, all ward councillors, officials, and employees of the DCC are against the decision,’ the mayor said.

Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1

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