Govt, Opposition fail to build consensus over Punjab LG legislation

LAHORE: The government and the opposition have failed to build a consensus over the local government legislation, quoting sources ARY News reported on Monday.

According to sources, the government has accepted only one recommendation of the opposition.

A committee has reviewed 122 of total 222 clauses of the bill so far. The government has accepted a proposal of the opposition for holding the mayor’s and union councils’ elections on the same day.

The government has disproved opposition parties’ proposal to keep the municipal committees intact in the local government’s system.

The opposition parties have also opposed the use of the electronic voting machines in elections, which also not accepted by the government.

“Around 2,00,000 voting machines and trained staff will be required for EVMs in a limited time,” the opposition argued.

Opposition parties PML-N, PPP as well as government’s ally PML-Q supporting presence of municipal committees between the union council and district council. But the PTI insists for removal of the municipal committees from the local government system, sources said.

Around four more sessions are required to discuss the local government bill, sources said.

The legislation will likely to be approved within one month if no political change took place during the period, sources added.