CHAPTER IX CHAPTER IX DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION
10.12 The functions that we propose for the Union Parishads may be seen at Appendix V llt
10.13 Every Union Parishad should have a whole-time paid Secretary. He must have passed the H.S.C. examination of a recog-
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nised Board. The post should be placed itr Grade VIII and the recruitment to it should be through open competitive examination to be conducted by the Public Service (Second) Commission. Subject to the general supervision and control of the Chairman; thef Secretary should be responsible for:—
n (a) The management of the office of-the Union Parishad;
(b) The conduct of correspondence 'On' behalf of the Union .Parishad; and
(c) The performance of s'uch other functions as may be specified by the Union Parishad or the Chairman.
1~0:14 ' A 1 Union Parishad’ should also, have air Accountant who should be a-rfiatriculate. - He Should’be trained inr<-accounting. The post should be in Grade IX. The Accountant 'should bfe ‘responsible for (a) the receipts apd poljection of , all .moneys, iaxes, rates, »fees and Qther dijes on behalf of the Union Parishad and the maintenance of the (record thereof; (b) the, maintenance, pf pqppunts; and (c) tlje custody pf
the property oMhe Union, Parishad,
10.15 Cif the officers posted at union. level the .services pt Union Agricultural Assistant, Sanitary Assistslnt and the Public
Heaitli Mechanic, etc!, should fee placed at the disposal of the Union Parishad. The designation of the Union Agricultural Assistant may
Be changed to tliat'tof a Uftion Agricultural Organiser. f He shoUld be a ' hmltip^irptVse extension agent for agriculture^- livestock, fisheries,
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totA* 99 it wodld ffl&t toe $>ossiMeto appwSiit oRicers at union level for oil Hie Stt&jtcifc lo r tiic present. It'- would, -however, be '.necessary to appoint a Sanitary Assistant for staking prophylactic health ^measures*
and a Public Health Mechanic for the repair and maintenance of the tube-wells.
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Sources of Income o£ the Union Connell
10.16 The following were the sources of income of the Union Council:-—
(a) Tax on the annual value of buildings afid^la’nds;
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(b) Tax on hearths;
A
-(c) -Lighting rate;
(td)' Drainage jr^te;-
(e) Rate for the remuneration of the village |&lice;.
(f) l^aie for tfre piST^ision.df'Water-Watks-or the. supjily of water;
j(g) Tax on professions^ trades and callings;
(h) Tax on cinemas, dramatic and theatrical shows * and other
■entertainments and amusements;^
(i) Tax on animMs;
(j) Tax on vehicles, carriages, sart-s, bicycles and boats; and (k) G rants •'and ^contributions .from the .Govpijmjieht and the
. District Council,
fO.i.7 ' !"The average income df the Uniorl Councils wks Very low.
ft'am ounted tb fe.13,400-. Some Union Councils had'doiftjle this Wcbftie such -the No\*/afep\Jr UftiGn Couhcil in 'Fatidpur District had an income of Rs.25,845 in 1966-67, Alipur Ufiion Cotmcil -ill F&ritl- .pur District had an income of Rs.36,862 in 1966-67, Chowara Union Council in Cotnilla .District had an income of Rs.42,630, and Raitipur union to u n cil in Dinaijpur' foistrict 'had an annual income of Ss.^1,757. in l* $6-66.' ’
^he.-rpagons io r thip,,sma]l jncopie d^ot-ifar+tojseek. J t l^duje-to th^,-QgpaUij^g govptty of.thp o^enyh^lming m a^ g ty >of .the people in the rural areas. In each union, 9% of the families do not
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pay-any tax, 20% of the families pay a tax below Taka X; 1-8% of th$
families pay a tax of Taka I to Taka 2; 1.4% from Taka 2 Taka 3; 12% from Taka 3 to Taka 4; 9% from Taka 4 to Taka 5;
1% from Taka 5 to Taka 7-50; 5% from Taka 7'-50' to Taka 10; 5®'- from Taka 101 to Taka 20 and the percentage- of the families which J>ay a tax bf Taka 20 and above is very negligible. These figures show that the overwhelming majority of our Jpeople pay a very nominal tax.
Tliey also point out clearly; the colossal poverty of the vast, majority* of our pebple. ' The- Government grant to* the Union Council' was also*
nominal.
10.19 A Un^on Council w^s required to spend two-fifths of its income on establishment and three-fifths on other items,- Owing to the, lack pf resources, they were unable to spend more, mojiey <pn .develop
mental activities* The total, income of the Union Councils was* Tk« 6Q miUiorb- The Government Bangladesh would have. to make substantial grants to the Union Parishads. It isv well to remember that over 90 of our people live jin- the villages. The real poncern q£
thg Governrnent for .the welfare of the people will be measured by substantial contributions towards the finances of the tTniop Parishad.
The Government must find out this money any hpw. This would* be discussed further in a subsequent part of this-chapter.
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Relationship between the Union Parishad and the Goverrupent
10.20 The relationship between the- Union Parishad and the Government should*be more or less the same as it is in the case o f the Zilla* P^mshad and the Government. I t would -he discussed in the later,part of 4he chapter.
Thana Parisffod
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10.21 ” As a Thana would” tie an administrative unit immediately above a Union, there would have to be a Thana Parishad in every Thana in accordance with Article 59 (1) of the Constitution so that the Local Government in Thana can be entrusted to an elected Trody.
Two membeis frwt* every Union within a Thana pot feeiflg tfc$ Chair
man, Vice-Chairman or members of any local bodyor oi Jh? Parliament
may be elected on the basis df universal adult franchise as members of the Thana Parishad. There is, however, a school of thought which is of the view that there is no need for a directly, elected Thana Parishad. A Thana’ Parishad may consist of the elected Chairmen of the .Union Parishads under the, Thana-and'the Chairman and Viqe- Ghairman be elected by an, electoral college [consisting of all thq members of the Union Parishad in the Thana.; This will confer virtually additional privilege on ,the Chairman- of, the, Unipn Parishad in-’the shape of 'double, membership. It.,is oppQsed; to democracy.
It may create a centre of vested interests. This was the practice under the system of “Basic Democracies”. Under that system, a Thana Council comprised two categories of rilembers— Chairmen of the tfnion Councils and official members. ‘ The introduction bf official members w&S an imposition of the bureaucratic element on the Thana Councils.
It was a negation of 'demdcracy. Even if the Thana -'Parishad is to consist 'of the Chairmen of th e Union Parishads, it£f Authority will riot be in the nature of a'direct mandate from 'the people, although it will be 'possible to avoid the difficulties associated With elections. In that case, the Thana Parishad will mefely be a-Committee, at best a Co-ordinating Committee to co-ordinate the activities of the Union Parishad. This seems to be contrary to the provisions of the Consti
tution. We are of the view that the members of the Thana Parishad should be directly elected in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
Chairman and Vice-Chairman of, the Thana Parishad/
10. £2 AS in the case of the Union Parishad, a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman for every Thana Parishad may, in addition to the members, be elected directly by all the voters in a Thana* on the basis of universal adult franchise. Their duties and functions may also be1 «t it * '' r' 1 " *r> f analogous.
Functions, of the Thana Parishad
10.23 T he functions that niay bfe entrusted to a Thana Parishad