LAHORE: Speakers at a seminar on Thursday emphasized the importance of gender equality in accessing digital services provided by the local government system.

The seminar, titled “Good Governance and the Role of Local Government and Community Development Department” was organised by an NGO at a local hotel. Its purpose was to create a platform for dialogue between community women and officials from the local government, focusing on the digital transformation of local government services in Punjab.

Javaid Iqbal Bhatti, LG Community Development director, discussed the digital initiatives undertaken by the Punjab Local Government Department to better serve the public. He highlighted that all 4,015 union councils in the province would be interconnected through a web-based system in collaboration with Nadra. Bhatti also mentioned the introduction of a mobile application that allows people to report and register births, deaths, marriages, and divorces online. The relevant LG department will then contact the person concerned to complete the necessary formalities. Additionally, residents can now lodge complaints and provide suggestions online through this app.

Farooq Ahmed Khara, LG and Community Development Department deputy director, explained that IT-based projects have been designed to transition from manual to e-governance mode. These projects aim to improve management, transparency, and the overall performance of municipal service delivery.

Regarding amendments to the birth and death registration rules of 2021, Mr Khara highlighted that civil fees for registering births, deaths, marriages and divorces have been significantly reduced to facilitate and encourage the public.

He emphasised the importance of youth participation in good governance by launching the “Volunteers of Local Government” drive during periods without elected governments.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2023