The local government at Gwadar district comprises 13 union councils, one district council, two municipal committees and two town committees. The mandate of local councils was to address various socio-economic development issues on local level through need assessment, planning and implementation (see annex 4 for functions of local government). These local councils are supervised and supported by the Local Government and Rural Development Department through an Assistant Director at the district level. However, it is a common complaint that instead of working as an auxiliary organisation, LG&RDD plays a constrictive role in affairs of the local government institutions by posing bureaucratic hurdles.

Ideally the local government institutions were constituted on the assumption that in this way grass root decision making and implementation for development could be ensured but this ideal has not been realised. Although small communities elect their representatives at local level and there is more intense interaction and exchange of ideas between representatives and the electoral college, participation of common folks in decision making process is minimal. After election, members of local councils rarely consult their voters on development issues. Similarly the appraisal of development potential and planning for exploitation of this potential is not according to the bottom-up approach. Rather a top-down decision making and implementation approach is followed. This approach leaves no room for participation of local government institutions in development planning. Even more, as women are hardly represented in the administrative structure, women’s concerns are neglected.

All local government institutions in Balochistan have been dissolved on 18th of December 1996 for new elections in 1997. Now these institutions are working under the supervision of government officials. Previously the Local Government and Rural Development Department received a total amount of rupees 7.5 million in 1994-95 under the People’s Program for construction of roads, boundary walls, rooms, and halls for schools, Eidgah, library, residential quarters, etc. About all of these constructed facilities are in use. In 1995-96, the department received a sum of rupees 5.35 million under the same program for construction of road, sports clubs, and school boundary walls. All these works have been completed. Moreover the department has distributed 40 latrines to general public under its Water and Sanitation Cell project. However only one deep well hand pump has been issued, mainly due to brackish ground water.

The union council is the smallest local government institution. The membership of each union council varies from 5-15 members. However, the elected councillors in every union council have to elect 2 women and one peasant member in their union council. There are 13 union councils in the district, a list of which is given in annex 1.

The union council, ideally, provides an opportunity for the people of rural areas to participate in decision making at micro level. It was assumed that a council of a small community will have better chances of intense interaction and grass root appraisal of the problems of the people. But in the real sense, chairmanship of union councils have become a status symbol and serves as a means for vested interests. This has made this vital institution an ineffective aggregation of uninterested councillors under the chairmanship of a person with political motives. Distribution of zakat, prominence in the area, and little favours by public officials are some of the vested interests which attracts most of the people to the chairmanship of a union council. The union council is not consulted in development planning for the rural areas. Usually decision making follows top-down approach, therefore, nullifying the ideal function of union councils. In addition, the union council has never received the financial support of higher authorities, it was supposed to receive, to be able to fulfil its functions, as described in the Local Government Ordinance of 1980

The only income of the union councils is a regular grant of rupees 18 thousand per annum by the provincial government. This small amount does not allow the union council to plan development strategies for the people in rural areas. However, two of the union councils, Pishukan and Sur Bandar, are in a surplus budget position due to receipt of a considerable amount as octroi through contractors. In 1995-96, the amount of octroi received by the union council Pishukan was rupees 0.321 million while it was rupees 0.285 million for the union council Sur Bandar. In the fiscal year 1996-97, the union councils Pishukan and Sur Bandar have contracted out the levy of octroi for an amount of rupees 0.35 and 0.308 million respectively. There are 8 regular employees in each of these 2 union councils to arrange the collection of octroi in case it is not arranged through a contractor.

There are two town committees in the district: Jiwani and Ormara. Both the town committees have equal number of electoral wards, i.e., 12. Each of the town committees comprises 15 councillors of which 12 are elected directly, one from each of the 12 wards, and these elected councillors elect 2 women and one labourer as councillors. The civic facilities provided to the citizens by these town committees include solid waste disposal and watch & ward. Both the town committees have a tractor and a trolley for collection and afterwards disposal, sometimes by burning, of the solid waste. However, watchmen are employed by the town committee, mainly in the commercial area. There has never been any sewerage system or town planning in these town committees.

Like other local government institutions, both the town committees are under severe financial crises. The only permanent source of income for the town committees is octroi and business fee. The collection of octroi is a difficult task, specially due to non-co-operation of district administration and many open routes for entrance into the towns. The last annual development plan (ADP) awarded to the town committee was in 1992-93. No development plans can be prepared by the town committees due to financial constraints.

A strict vigilance on import of octroiable goods and efficient octroi collection mechanism with full support of the district administration can improve the financial condition of the town committee through increase in revenue. At present there is no land tax levied by the town committee on sale or purchase of property in the town. This taxation can also be utilised to meet development expenditure.

The Gwadar district has two municipal committees: Gwadar and Pasni. The Gwadar municipal committee comprises 28 directly elected councillors, one from each of the 28 wards, and 2 women and one labourer councillors elected by the directly elected councillors. The Gwadar municipal committee has developed sewerage and drainage system for the town. However this system is not functional adequately due to lack of care and repair. The MC Gwadar has 3 tractor trolleys to collect solid waste from the town and to dispose it off on dumping sites where it is burned. It also has one pump and tanker to remove rain water. The municipal committee Gwadar arranges the killing of stray dogs and an annual spray to kill mosquitoes. To date the MC Gwadar has constructed a Madrassa, one boys and 3 girls primary schools, one badminton hall, community water tanks, fishermen sheds, public latrines, and 3.5 kilometres of black top road in the municipal area. Moreover the MC Gwadar provides financial support to the Rural Community Development Council, Gwadar.

The overall financial condition of the municipal committee Gwadar is relatively better. In the last five years (1991-96), the MC Gwadar earned rupees 22,372,201 out of which 82.4 percent was levied through octroi. The total expenditure of the MC Gwadar, for the last 5 years (1991-96) amounts to rupees 28,552,190 out of which 35.0 percent of the total amount has been spent on development activities (year-wise income and expenditure can be seen in chapter 9). For the fiscal year 1996-97, the MC Gwadar expects an income of rupees 5,008,262 and expenditure of rupees 4,474,588. The Municipal Committee Gwadar faced a major budget deficit in 1991-92 but it had enough opening balance to accommodate this deficit. The major development work in this year was development of the New Town Housing Scheme which later on was handed over to the district administration. Other than octroi, the MC Gwadar levies commercial licence fee, property tax, and building permission fee.

The Pasni Municipal Committee consists of 20 directly elected councillors, one from each of the 20 electoral wards, and 2 women and one labourer councillors elected by the directly elected councillors. The MC Pasni has 2 tractor trolleys for solid waste disposal. Sewerage system was introduced in Pasni by the municipal committee but it is not functional at present. Financially, the municipal committee Pasni is in surplus position. In 1994-95, the MC Pasni earned a total amount of rupees 2,907,200 while this amount decreased to rupees 2,168,200 in the fiscal year 1995-96. Total expenditure of the MC Pasni, for the years 1994-95, amounts to rupees 2.614 million while it was rupees 2,136,858 in 1995-96. For the fiscal year 1996-97, the MC Pasni expects a total income of rupees 2,063,308 and expenditure of rupees 1,938,400. This surplus budget position indicates that levy of revenue and expenditure is well-managed by the municipal committee Pasni.

The district council Gwadar comprises 17 councillors out of which thirteen are elected directly (one from each of the 13 union councils) while 4 councillors including 2 women, one peasant, and one labourer are elected indirectly by the elected councillors. The district council is primarily responsible for the overall development of rural areas of the district (detailed functions of the local government institutions are described in annex 4).

Apart from special grants and annual development plans, zila (district) tax is the sole source of regular income for the district council. The recurrent budget liabilities of the council include salaries of the employees, about 0.6 million rupees and honorarium of the chairman district council. Total income of the district council was 849,980 rupees in 1994-95 while the total expenditure was 750,240 rupees. In 1995-96, the total income of the council was rupees 913,200 against the expenditure of rupees 852,502. It is expected that the district council will be able to earn rupees 1,186,581 to meet its expected expenditure of rupees 976,692 in the fiscal year 1996-97. It seems that managed use of resources can help avoiding any financial crisis. The district council Gwadar has well managed its income and expenditure and is facing no financial setback. The increasing trend in income indicates valid efforts on the part of elected representatives and officials to develop their area. No annual development plan has been granted after year 1992-93.

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