Open UP budget sessions result in good services
People of nine unions in Kalapara upazila of the district are getting services from the union parishads (UP) by raising their voices at open budget sessions and interface meetings.
They participated in the meetings as part of a project for practising good governance at every level of the UP under Social Engagement for Budgetary Accountability (SEBA) project.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Nazrul Smriti Sangsad (NSS) in association with Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) is implementing the project.
The project has been taken to make UPs more responsive, people-oriented, transparent and accountable.
The UPs arrange ward level meetings to ensure local people's participation to prepare local need-based schemes. Then they send the schemes to the open annual budget meeting. The UPs decide on the development schemes for the next fiscal year in presence of the people.
Community clinic worker Sohag Russel said at an interface meeting on March 15 last year that the community clinic in Dalbuganj union could not provide services to the people as it was at risk of collapsing due to lack of renovation.
UP Chairman Md Abdus Salam Sikder promised at the meeting to repair the clinic as soon as possible. It was repaired within three months and people are getting services regularly.
Farzana Akter, a student of Purbo Patua Government Primary School in Champapur union, said at an open budget meeting that academic activities were greatly hampered due to lack of furniture and equipment.
UP Chairman Rintu Talukder allocated Tk 80,000 within three months for buying furniture and the necessary equipment
In this way local people contribute to the UP's development and the chairman and members also become more responsive to people, said Shahabuddin Panna, NSS executive director.
Tiakhali UP Chairman Syed Mashiur Rahman said SEBA project assists them to realise that formulation of local level budget, especially for UPs, was a participatory process and ensuring participation of marginalised people will make them feel the ownership of their own budget.