Governor Sindh rejects Sindh Local Government (amendment) bill 2021

KARACHI: Governor Sindh Imran Ismail on Monday rejected the Sindh Local Government (amendment) bill 2021 and returned it to the Sindh Assembly for reconsideration while raising 10 objections, ARY NEWS reported.

While raising objections on the bill, the governor said that the Sindh local government amendment bill was against article 140 of the Constitution that empowers the grass root level of the government.

He further pointed out the elimination of the district municipal corporations and replacing them with the town system saying that it would create an administrative issue.

Governor Sindh objected to the secret balloting for the election of mayor, saying that it could lead to horse-trading in the entire process.

Imran Ismail also pointed out an anomaly in schedule 5 of the local government act and said that the lack of authority for municipal authorities to collect tax on the non-transferable property will lead to a financial crisis for the municipal councils.

The Sindh Assembly on November 26 unanimously passed Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2021. Sindh Minister for Local Government Syed Nasir Hussian Shah presented the bill in the provincial assembly.

Opposition parties including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) opposed the new local government bill.

The bill was moved in the assembly after Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari approved the new LG system.

READ MORE: SINDH GOVT NOT SERIOUS IN HOLDING LG POLLS: ECP

Under the new bill, District Councils and Municipal Corporations (DMCs) will be abolished in Karachi and a town system would be restored in each division of the province.

Karachi will be divided into more than 25 towns under the new LG system, according to a bill.

The new local government system will give more powers to elected mayor and union council chairman, according to a draft.