DCCs in dire dysfunctional state

WE could not agree more with the Prime Minister that people of the capital are suffering from a chronic lack of public services. Reasons are not far to seek. There have been two debilitating spells in which a drastic deterioration in civic services occurred through unelected leadership. The first downslide happened when Sadeque Hossain Khoka, an elected Mayor for 2002-2007 continued after his tenure till the splitting of DCC into two on November 29, 2011. The second spell of void in elected leadership has been more pronounced with the city corporations having been placed in charge of government-appointed administrators in purely ad-hoc six-monthly stints.

Even so, the responsibility for not holding the DCC election on time admittedly rests with the PM.

Concomitantly, what we have now are two mismanaged, dysfunctional and corruption-ridden DCCs. Ten zonal administrators replacing 92 ward commissioners has meant a lack of intimacy with and focus on problems at the ward levels. Roads are in shambles with sloppy maintenance at best and money-making patchwork at worst; surface drains and sewers overlap and water-logging is chronic. Garbage management is in an appalling state with gluts in heaps belching noxious gases.

Aside from basic amenities, services like issuance of birth, death and succession certificates is difficult to be availed of, let alone requiring palm-greasing and speed money payments.   

In this backdrop, that the prime minister wishes to hold elections to these bodies is welcome. While we agree with her decision in principle, we cannot but help wonder why should she think of a DCC election in times of political turmoil!