And now to work

THE people have spoken. They handed over the reins of a majority of Local Bodies to the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) on March 30, boosting the prospects of developing the villages in tandem with the Mahinda Chintana.

It has been observed that voters tend to elect Councils aligned with the ruling party at the Local Government polls.

This is not surprising, since there is a widespread belief that local bodies and provincial councils controlled by the ruling party have a much better chance of getting more funds for development and welfare.

While this is mostly true, it does not mean that local councils won by the opposition parties would not register on the Government's funding radar. On the contrary, no Government would want to lose its popularity by shutting off such local councils from the funding process.

That said, all local councils do earn a substantial income from ratepayers, both residential and commercial, which can in turn be used to develop their respective areas.

This brings us to the crux of the matter. Although every subject under the sun from the peace process to electoral reforms was dragged onto the Local Polls platform, this election was all about serving the people at village and city level.

This is where most local bodies, including some of the biggest and richest, have failed miserably.

Now that elections are over and the winners known, it is time to get to work in order to rectify some of the glaring shortcomings in governance at village level.

They should lose no time in starting work, leaving politics aside. The fact that all councillors are from their own villages and cities makes it easier to identify the problems and suggest remedies. They already have a good rapport with residents which can be used to further their welfare.

Garbage disposal has become perhaps the biggest problem confronting both residents and local bodies. We have seen heaps of garbage lying unattended for days, even weeks, by the roadside all virtually over the country.

Quite apart from the unbearable stench, rotting garbage gives rise to several other problems. Such sites are a haven for mosquitoes and stray animals which carry life-threatening diseases.

Comprehensive environmental-friendly garbage treatment and disposal systems are vital. With the availability of landfills severely restricted, local bodies will have to look for other methods such as incinerators and recycling.

Several local bodies already do have successful recycling programmes which should be emulated by others.

Viable garbage disposal and city cleaning programmes can also address related problems such as mosquito breeding.

The maintenance of local infrastructure is another issue. Most roads in rural areas are dilapidated and hardly motorable. They are hardly lit at night. The lack of good roads affects millions of villagers.

Roads are the prime link between cities and villages. Developing them to acceptable standards is essential for development.

Most local bodies also do not maintain proper health facilities. In some remote villages, the dispensary run by the local council is the only easily accessible health facility for villagers who are otherwise forced to walk several miles to the nearest town or city.

The newly elected local councils, regardless of which party is at the helm, must forge a close relationship with the Provincial Councils and the Central Government to achieve their targets.

Developing the country and ensuring the well being of the public are the aims of all three arms of governance.

There is thus no room for any conflict of interest in achieving the ultimate goal of serving the public efficiently.