The present government will upgrade the municipalities of 11 remaining old districts to city corporations within its tenure to ensure better civic facilities.
LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam told this to newsmen yesterday emerging from the deputy commissioners’ conference at the cabinet division of Bangladesh Secretariat.
The 11 old districts are Faridpur, Mymensingh, Tangail, Jamalpur, Dinajpur, Bogra, Pabna, Noakhali, Kushtia, Jessore and Patuakhali.
Within few days Gazipur municipality will be turned into a city corporation, noted the minister.
The government has urged the DCs to help different local government tiers and ensure the elected representatives perform their duties properly, mentioned Ashraf, also the general secretary of ruling Awami League.
He stressed on increasing the revenue income at the district level to have a strong local government.
There has been no increase in tax in any of the city corporations including Dhaka and Chittagong since 1991, he pointed out adding, the candidates of city corporation, municipality and union parishad polls never speak for increasing tax.
If this tendency is not stopped, neither the central nor the local governments would be stronger, he observed.
He also informed the journalists that the upazila parishad act will be amended in the next session of parliament to ensure better coordination among the local government bodies.
Replying to a query, Ashraf said since the upazila parishad is revived after a long time, there are some conflicts between the local administration and the elected representatives. He hoped the new law will address the problem.
-With The Daily Star input
