Maharaj questions whether the Ministry oversees that the right people are sitting at the right places in municipal councils

The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Alvick Maharaj has asked the Ministry of Local Government whether it oversees that the right people are holding positions in municipal councils after revelations by Lautoka City Council CEO, Mohammed Anees Khan that the staff that were responsible for preparing 2014 accounts were not qualified.

Maharaj then asked whether the Ministry has has done a survey in the past 5 or 6 years with regards to municipal councils as to how some people who were not qualified were actually holding certain positions.

He says it has been a legacy for the past few decades and even post independence that staff used to climb the hierarchy in municipal councils just because they were in the system.

The Director for Local Government, Bindula Devi has told the committee they have been working with the councils.

Devi says for the first time all the councils now have a proper human resource policy and they have made it mandatory that they follow the Open Merit Recruitment System guidelines.

She says the Ministry is always ready to provide assistance required by the councils before, during and after the recruitment process.