By Fazal Khaliq
MINGORA: Speakers here on Wednesday said that local communities’ consultation in planning of developmental initiatives by the government was indispensable to achieve long term development and prosperity.
They were speaking in the launching workshop of Local Development Unit (LDU) aiming to establish a platform of members from local communities and line departments to link them and discuss community issues and plan developmental activities. The event was organized by LASOONA under a project “Enabled environment for right-based, inclusive development and improved governance in Swat and Shangla Districts in Pakistan, funded by European Union and Welt hung hilfe.
“It was the community perception that they were not being consulted by governmental departments in planning of developmental initiatives in their areas and it was realized that a big gap existed between the communities and line departments,” said Rahman Hussain a representative of LASOONA organization.
He said that the LDU would be comprised of 30 members which would be led by the tehsil nazim or Assistant Commissioner with representatives from local authorities including Tehsil Municipal Officer (TMO), District Health Officer (DHO), District Education Officer (DEO), District Director Agriculture, Assistant Director Local Government & Rural development (AD LG&RD), XEN Public Health, Right to Services (RTS) focal person and District Disaster Management Officer. Village council nazims, and four members from inclusive civil society platform would also be its members.
The organizers said that the Local Development Unit would conduct regular meetings on quarterly bases in the LDU conference hall at Khwaza Khela tehsil where civil society members presented community problems and also would facilitate multi stakeholders’ dialogues (local, provincial and national level) sharing institutional knowledge, good practices and to generate solutions for participatory local development.
“We want the model of LDU extend to the entire province and the entire country after it meets success here in Swat,” said Noor Malik another representative of LASOONA.
Chief guest at the occasion ADC Relief Riaz Khan said that the local communities must be strengthened so that they could raise their issues with the government departments for its timely solutions. He welcomed the establishment of LDU and assured his full support in solution of the community problems.
Raham Bacha a female civil society member said that women from communities should be part of the platform. “Many women are also working in different government departments who should also be invited to the meetings of LDU so that they can sit together and discuss their issues,” she said.
Officials from different government departments who were present in the launching workshop said that they would attend the meetings of LDU and would resolve community issues discussed by community members.
Earlier LASOONA executive director welcomed all the participants and said that it was high time for all walks of life to sit together and resolve their issues.
