Devolution of Power and Responsibility

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NATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION BUREAU
Devolution of Power and Responsibility
Guidelines for Administrative Restructuring and
Decentralization
Islamabad, 22nd February 2001
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2. The process of devolution of power to the
elected representatives is already underway.
Direct elections of union councils in 18
districts were held on 31 December 2000.
Elections in other districts, under a phased
programme, will be completed by 15 July 2001.
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3. Indirect elections of Nazims/Naib Nazims of
Districts and Tehsils/Towns and of reserved seats
for women, peasants/workers and minorities of
Tehsil/Town and District councils will be held in
July 2001. The local governments will be
installed on 14 August 2001.
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4. The proposed local government system is based
on five fundamentals devolution of political
power, decentralization of administrative
authority, de-concentration of management
functions, diffusion of the powerauthority
nexus, and distribution of resources at the
district level.
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5. The new system will bring about changes in the
administrative and financial structures. The
officers and staff at all levels in the
government have to give their best to get the
best results.
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7. The new system has been designed to ensure,
through an effective system of checks and
balances, that the genuine interests of the
people are served and their rights safeguarded.
It will create an enabling environment in which
the people can start participating in community
welfare and be the masters of their own destiny.
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8. On the 14th August, 2001 the local governments
will be formed at three levels District,
Tehsil/Town in a city district, and Union. The
administrative relationships will change.
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9. Administrative, financial and appellate powers
of the divisional/regional offices will be
decentralized to the district level or below.
Tehsil/Town Municipal Administration headed by
Tehsil/Town Nazim and the Union Municipal
Administration, under the Union Nazim will start
functioning.
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10. To establish the local governments at all
levels in a district, it is imperative to
restructure the existing administrative set up at
the district, Tehsil and Union levels and
decentralize the administrative authority to the
district/Tehsil officers. This task is gigantic
and must be accomplished well before the local
governments are installed. The action is to be
initiated now.
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11. In every province the Governors Task Force
on Devolution will handle the transition from the
existing to the new administrative structure,
which begins on 1 March 2001, under the
leadership of the Governor and the Chief
Secretary through Provincial and District
Transition Teams.
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12. The Chief Executive of Pakistan had approved
the composition and tasks of provincial and
district Transition Teams during the meeting of
the Chief Executives Committee on Devolution
held on 29 January 2001. Administrative
decentralization is to be completed by 31 August
2001.
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c. District Transition Teams To be composed
as under, to function under the Provincial
Transition Team, but located within the
premises of the existing DCs office -
(1) DCO designate Selected from among the best
BS-20 officers (BS-21 for City Districts) (2) Up
to two other officers (3) Lieutenant Colonel from
the Army. (4) Reinforce with Tehsil Transition
Teams at the discretion of the DCO designate.
The above officers must have no routine job other
than being part of the District Transition Team.
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14. The guidelines are being presented to
facilitate the process of change. These are
applicable to common as well as city districts.
The Local Government Plan 2000 and Local
Government Ordinance 2001 (to be promulgated in
April by the respective provincial governments)
may be used to seek further clarifications.
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b) Re-orientate administrative systems to allow
public participation in decision- making.
c) Facilitate monitoring of government functiona
ries by the monitoring committees of the local
councils. d) Rationalize administrative
structures for improving efficiency.
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e) Introduce performance incentive systems to
reward efficient officials. f) Ensure
functioning of the related offices in an
integrated manner to achieve synergistic effect
and improve service delivery.
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g) Eliminate delays in decision-making
and disposal of business through
enhanced administrative and financial authority
of district and Tehsil/Town level officers.
h) Improve administrative and
financial management practices in the district
and management controls over operational units.
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i) Redress grievances of people against
mal- administration through the office of
Zila Mohtasib. The government functionaries
will also be eligible to lodge complaints
against the unlawful and motivated orders of
the elected officials. j) Enable the proactive
elements of society to participate in community
work and development related activities.
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17. In a city district, the DCO may be a BS-21
civil servant. The District Police Officer will
be answerable to the Zila Nazim for law and order
in the district.
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(In case of NWFP watershed management and
natural forests / Guzara forests will remain with
the Provincial Government. Other types of forests
will be within the domain of the district
Government.
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20. The offices of provincial government
departments located at the district level but
kept out of the fold of the district
administration like Food, Irrigation and
Drainage, Auqaf, Jail, Anti-Corruption, Zakat
Usher, etc., and other specialized establishments
will continue to function under the
administrative control of the respective
provincial government departments.
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21. However, the regional and divisional
structures will be reviewed for reorganization
and decentralization of authority to the district
offices. The divisional/regional structures as a
policy will not be retained.
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24. The conclusions about the framework of the
supporting staff for each of the above offices
shall be conveyed by the NRB to the Provincial
Transition Team as soon as the ongoing exercise
(based on the details of several typical
Tehsil/Town Municipal Administration) is
finalized.
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26. In each union there will be three
Secretaries, one each for Union Committees,
Municipal Functions and Community Development.
The existing staff of the union will continue to
perform the assigned functions.
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GUIDELINES
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28. It is, therefore, necessary that those who
are responsible for district-wide restructuring
and reorganization may collect essential data
about the district, Tehsils and unions.
Information may be collected on the form
suggested by the NRB for National Reconstruction
Information Management System (NARIMS).
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33. The tier of EDO in the district hierarchy
will be introduced formally only after the
reconstruction of the whole civil services
structure and system. Till that time the DCO will
organize the groupings of offices in the district
and appoint senior most officers as acting EDOs
from amongst the officers of the district
departments.
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POSTING IN HOME DISTRICT/TEHSIL
37. Withdrawn
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41. The sub divisional tier will also cease to
function. The records of the sub-divisional tier
will be transferred to the respective sub-offices
of district departments located in the relevant
Tehsils.
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46. Functions like water supply and sanitation
and those of the existing Local Government set-up
at district level shall be de-centralized and
made the responsibility of Tehsil/Town Municipal
Administration. The water and sanitation
agencies in the common districts will be placed
under the control of Tehsil Municipal
Administration.
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47. In a city district the servants of local
council may be allocated to the town municipal
administration or the city district government in
accordance with their respective functions. The
water and sanitation agencies in the city
district will also function under the control of
the city district government.
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48. The employees working in the existing Town
Committees, Municipal Committees and Municipal
Corporations (including officers/ officials of
the Local Council Service) will be placed under
the executive control of the Tehsil/Town Nazim
through the Tehsil/Town Municipal Officer on 14
August 2001.
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49. The employees of the existing Local Council
Service and the servants of Local Councils will
become employees of Tehsil/Town Municipal
Administration after the reconstruction of the
whole civil service structure and system. Till
that time the personnel matters will continue to
be handled in accordance with the rules
applicable to these categories.
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Thank You
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