Question

Assess the benefits of local goverment

Answer 1

In these line i will try to cover the topic "Advantages of Local Government". Local government is also known as “Good governance’. It is at the best in countries which are governed under the democratic system. It is now generally believed that all public problems are best administered by a properly organized system of local bodies. If you go back to the definition, it can be easily under stood that local government is a system of public education of how to handle problems / how to solve them.  The institution of local government is educative in nature. The experience and knowledge gained through local bodies regarding public welfare services can best be utilized in nation’s building as it cultivates a sense of civic duties and responsibilities. It is said that whoever learns to be public spirited, active and upright in the affairs of a village or community, has learnt the first lesson of the duty incumbent upon a citizen of a great nation. Many times the central or provincial governments are indifferent to the affairs of some localities, and if it interests itself at all, many times the developmental process or the support is subject to red tap-ism and delays happen unnecessarily. An administration which is not local based, is mostly, if not always non-responsive to local problems.

In the field of development, many times the central or the provincial governments need uniformity and not variety while on the other hand, local problems are always different and not uniform, and hence need variety, not uniformity depending upon the needs of the area. Such problems need solution in accordance with the local needs.  Local government is an instrument which helps shoulder the responsibilities of the central or provincial government and thus lightens their burdens. Logically, it is not the responsibility of the federal or provincial government to make streets paved for you or provide water tapes in the streets. Nor it looks nice that a member of the provincial assembly or national assembly looks after local pity affairs like the above. States need statesmen to make policies and not labourers to pave street for people. Furthermore centralization of power means bureaucratic government. Bureaucracy means different things to different nations.  In advance countries bureaucracy means efficiency but in Pakistan, it means ruling the people like subjects and not serving them. Thus a government may be efficient but can never be a substitute for a local government system.  Another advantage of Local government is stimulating political awareness and consciousness and inculcates true sense of citizenship and participation in public affairs.