Strengthening institutions and organizational
capacity:
Local govt. is not boring
Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha, MP
The last series of Divisional Secretariat Reconciliation meetings in
the North brought out even more clearly than before the failure of the
various institutions of government to work with each other. At a
previous consultation, which the UNDP had funded as part of an ongoing
initiative to improve coordination, I had realized what might be termed
the political problem in the areas in which development is most
essential, namely the Divisions in which local government bodies are
controlled by the Tamil National Alliance.
Some of their members, and in particular the community leaders they
had appointed to lead their lists in many places, thus avoiding the
general unpopularity of those who had been engaged on either side in the
confrontational politics of the previous decades, were willing to
engage. But they were not sure if this would be acceptable to their more
political leaders, given that it is much easier to complain that to try
to work. Conversely, government representatives were not sure whether
active cooperation with elected leaders from an opposition party would
lead to criticism from those who thought government should belong only
to them.
Pradeshiya Sabhas
Vocational training |
But this political problem is exacerbated by the absence of systems
to encourage cooperation. Thus I found a vacuum even in the islands of
the Jaffna District, where the Pradeshiya Sabhas are in the hands of the
government. This could be attributed to communication failures given
language difficulties, though that is certainly a reason which could
easily be overcome. But then I found that there were problems too in the
Vavuniya South Division, which is largely Sinhala, and where there seem
to be very good relations between the Divisional Secretary - who the
people seemed universally to admire and like for his efficiency - and
the members of the Pradeshiya Sabha, at least those who came to the
meeting.
At the heart of the problem lies the failure of government to
institute productive training for members of local government bodies.
But connected with this perhaps is the failure of government to have
worked out in which areas such bodies should be encouraged to exercise
initiative. Though technically they are responsible for seven areas,
clearly the provision of utilities is no longer an area in which they
can do much, given the increasing involvement over the years of central
government in such activities. That within government there is
inadequate coordination, with Water Resources and Water Services for
instance coming under different Ministries so that comprehensive
planning is not easy, is another question. But clearly, in such matters,
local bodies can only make requests and suggestions, with decisions on
what must now be large scale initiatives belonging elsewhere.
However there are still several areas in which local government
bodies can and should take on primary responsibility, but in few places
are these done. Community services, including the provision of parks and
libraries, should now be extended to entertainment and communications.
Thus I was deeply impressed by the Officer in Charge of the Police in
Palai, who was building a large hall in which, because electricity had
not yet reached several villages under his purview, he proposed to
screen films and arrange other entertainment.
Leisure activities
Such activities would also help local bodies to generate revenue.
They could also encourage local initiatives by involving senior school
students in preparing and presenting programmes. In this regard, given
the general breakdown of educational services in most rural areas, local
bodies could also take the lead in arranging for vocational training,
which certainly qualifies as a vital service for the community.
This can be done in schools, since the Education Ministry had finally
decided to encourage such training in schools, having at last got over
the dismissive mentality they had developed with regard to anything
except academic learning. Connected with this is their failure to
develop extra-curricular activities in schools, and that too is an area
in which local bodies can take a lead, given the responsibilities they
have for what are termed leisure activities.
The Secretary to the Ministry of Child Development recently made the
very valid point that the Right to Leisure is also vital for children,
and this could be an area in which concerted local efforts made a
difference - bearing in mind too that the soft skills developed through
leisure activities such as sports and cultural performance are
immeasurably useful when it comes to seeking employment.
Another area in which local bodies could do more was highlighted by
the President in his budget speech, when he talked of entrusting
responsibility for transport for school services, as well as markets, to
local bodies. Unfortunately no one else seems to have noticed this part
of the budget speech, and nothing has been done in this regard. I much
fear then that this will go the way of many other excellent and
innovative ideas introduced by the President, such as the assertion last
year about reforming the prison system and introducing rehabilitation
programmes instead of long term remand and sentences for minor offences.
Rural areas
However, unlike the judiciary, which should develop more productive
rules with regard to remand and sentencing, but cannot be forced to do
this, the institutions which can implement the President's ideas about
transport come under the Executive.
I gathered when in Karaveddy that, courtesy of the Indian government,
the Jaffna Municipal Council had been working on these lines even before
the budget speech, so I have written to the Indian High Commission
asking for support for rural areas too. But the response would doubtless
be quicker if the Ministry of Local Government also made a similar
request, backed up perhaps by the Ministry of Public Administration,
since clearly coordination between local bodies and Divisional
Secretaries would make the services more efficient.
Now that the President has drawn attention to the matter, it can no
longer be neglected and left to the Ministry of Transport, since clearly
this is about education and community services too. |