Definition:

“Local Government is the management and administration of local problems/ local

affairs by the local people themselves or through the representative at the local level”

Historical Perspective:
Local Government is not a new thing; it has been existing for more than thousands of
decade. If we look at history the roots are not implanted by Great Britain nor did Sher
Shah Soori conceive the idea of local government. It has emerged from the period of
Caliph Umer Farooq, who started local administration of his statesmen by introducing the
unique local management by local individuals. For instance the Police force was
introduced to provide security and maintain peace and discipline in society.
Local Government is a grass-root level government which has direct link with the people
at every day of affairs, [like Union Council, City Government etc]
It is responsible for the day to day ward, district, or city.

Elucidation:
The term ‘Local Government’ has been defined as that part of administration of state or
nation which deals mainly with such matters as concerned in-habitants of particular place
or district including those functions which Central Government may consider desirable to
be administrative.

The objective of Local Government is decentralization of power from central towards

local level. [Example: 1st world countries have territorial bases]. Decentralization
involves the delegation of power to lower level in territorial hierarchy. Whether hierarchy
is one of the Governments within the state or official level scale organization
[Political/Administrative organization]

Responsibilities:

Local Government responsibility often include the provision of public transport and
public recreational facilities, as well as monitoring and enforcing many environmental
regulations [Especially in 1st world countries]

Decentralization:

Decentralization involves the delegation of power to lower level in a territorial hierarchy

whether the hierarchy is one of the governments within a state or official within a large
scale organization. Decentralization includes the subdivision of territory/ state into
smaller area and creation of political and administrative institution in those areas. There
are five types of decentralization.
• Deconcentration or Administrative Deconcentration
• Devaluation or Democratic Decentralization
• Fiscal
 • Delegation
• Privatization

Deconcentration or Administrative Deconcentration:

It involves transfer of specific Administrative responsibilities to lower level within

the central government ministries and agencies. It is described as the dispersal of
agents of higher level of government into lower level areas. The objective is to
redistribute authority, responsibility, and financial resources for providing public
services among different levels of government. Deconcentration is in practiced
generally in less developed countries.

Factors involved in Administrative Deconcentration:

The factors which are involved in administrative deconcentration are

• Lack of participation by masses in government’s affairs [Population’s
division in ethnic, gender etc basis]
• Higher level of illiteracy [uneducated masses due to feudal system]
• Livelihood patterns [people want to live in particular area and live in same
manners]
• Poor Communication

Devaluation or Democratic Decentralization:

It is transfer of power and resources from the centre to the authority at lower level which
is representatives as well as the accountable to the local population because elected
people can be accounted. The authority at lower level is largely or wholly independent of
the central government and democratic in some way and to some degree. These units are
autonomous and legal bodies and are separated from central government. Central
government has only indirect supervisory control over such unites. These units normally
exist in form of local government. Candidates are selected by both means, direct or
indirect elections. In case of direct election, candidates are elected by people but in case
of indirect election, the higher level posts are elected by higher level authorities. [Iran has
direct election and Pakistan has indirect election]

Nature of Local Government:

The nature of Local government varies from country to country as Local Governments
are not sovereign bodies as powers are given to Local Government sometime by Central
Government and sometime by the Provincial Government. Generally Local Government
is the creation of Parliament which retains a constitutional sovereignty enabling in to
change or remove previous legislation. Therefore Local Government is an administrative
institution in nature and the basic responsibilities are implementation and execution of
Policies.
Importance of objectives of Local Government:

• It provides Political education

• It contributes to the Political stability
• It provides the sense of participation on the part of people

It provides Political education:

It provides Political education which means election should be on the basis of
community.
It contributes to the Political stability
It contributes to the Political stability. The main objective is not only policing, collection
of taxes but Local Government’s main function is to provide welfare. To get political
stability you need minimum opposition. If Local Government institutions work smoothly
there will be political stability. Local Government bridges the gap between National
Local and Local Level.
It provides the sense of participation on the part of people
It provides the sense of participation on the part of people. When people interact at grass
root level, it provides welfare and show benefits of different projects.

Note:

Local Government is always a very small institution exercise limited authority in a

limited area.

Local Government vary from area to area, region to region, country to county.

Local Government has no original power of its own but powers are given by high
authority such as Provincial Government or Central Government.

Local Government has its own specific population and this specific population shows the
status of Local Government in order to provide services to its defined masses.

Local Government has also its own permanent institution like ‘Nazim’, Council and
permanent staff through whose combine efforts local issues are resolved.

Local Government is administrative institution but it is not a parliamentary institution

because law making is not the business of Local Government. The execution of policies
is the main responsibility of Local Government.