Flaws of Devolution Plan

The Plan was indeed monumental as a piece of master strategy and it should have met with resounding success but it could not. Had it set the citizen free from the political and economic bondage of the mini-dictator of his tribe, jagir, region, constituency etc and empowered him to act upon the call of his conscience in the use of his vote, the Plan could have achieved one of its objectives. The fact is that the individual’s vote continues to be the property of his master to be cast in his favor as and when commanded by him. Likewise, indicators of his economic empowerment are nowhere insight. Economically independent voter can disregard feudal pressures that is exerted in an effort to grab his vote. Literacy and financial independence go together. This dual empowerment of the individual is essential for the eventual success of the Plan. Both of these, as yet, lie out of the reach of the individual. The system, as such, is being used as an instrument by the political bigwigs to promote their vested interests in country’s power politics. It was supposed to bring about a silent revolution in the life of the nation but beyond some minor gains nothing much appears to have been achieved.

Devolution, education, democracy and poverty are inevitably linked with each other. Democracy flourishes in a perfect state of devolution of power and grants three-tier status to the individual. First it gives him education and makes him economically self-reliant. Second. this twin empowerment tends to make him politically independent to exercise right of vote as per his own wish. Three, having developed democratic potential in him he asserts as an individual as well as an important member of the society. The Local Government is decidedly a good system provided it had been recognized constitutionally and was run as a well equipped independent department of the provincial government. The systems die a premature death primarily due to the hostility of the elite towards it. The system meant to empower the common man that implied the end of their over lordship. This was not acceptable to them. They did every thing in their power to make it non-functional and then put an end to it through procedural maneuvourings.