PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assembly on Monday passed a controversial amendment bill to the Local Government Act, 2013, significantly reducing the administrative and financial powers of elected mayors and tehsil chairmen across the province.
According to the bill, nine clauses under Section 25 of the Act have been abolished, stripping mayors and chairmen of key functions related to council proceedings, development oversight, and financial planning.
One of the major changes includes the removal of the authority of mayors and chairmen to nominate a presiding member in their absence during council sessions. The bill also withdraws their power to constitute standing committees for municipal and tehsil offices.
Moreover, the legislation revokes the right of mayors and chairmen to form finance committees responsible for budget preparation and taxation proposals. Their authority to establish accounts committees for auditing expenditures has also been annulled.
In addition, committees tasked with monitoring the conduct of council members and ensuring adherence to a code of conduct have been abolished.
The bill further empowers the provincial government with full control over the planning and execution of development schemes, effectively centralising authority that was previously shared with local governments.
The amendments have drawn criticism from opposition benches and local government representatives, who argue that the move undermines grassroots democracy and weakens local governance. However, the provincial government maintains that the changes are aimed at streamlining administrative efficiency and ensuring better oversight of development projects.
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