2-DAY COMMONWEALTH
LOCAL GOVERNMENT FORUM (CLGF) MEET CONCLUDES
INDIA
TO EXTEND COOPERATION TO GHANA IN HOUSING SECTOR
The Commonwealth
Local Government Forum (CLGF), the commonwealth body representing
local governments concluded its first ever meeting in India today.
Union Minister for Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation,
Sh. Ananth Kumar who chaired the meeting explained to the Board
Members the local self-government reforms in India, urban priorities
such as construction of low cost housing and about increasing
representation of women in urban local government bodies. Representatives
from United Kingdom, Namibia, Ghana, South Africa, Canada, Newzeland,
Jamaica, Malaysia participated in the meeting.
The Board agreed
on the business plan for the years 2001-02, 2002-03 which include
the ongoing promotion of local democracy and good governance,
capacity building projects and a frame work for the next common
wealth conference on local government service partnership in Tshwane
(Pretoria), South Africa in March 2003. The conference will focus
on forging local government partnership with the private sector,
NGOs and community groups to facilitate better service delivery.
Later the Ghana Minister
for Local Government His Excellency, Kwado Baah-wiredo met Shri.
Ananth Kumar who agreed to extend indian co-operation in the housing,
low cost building materials and urban reforms sectors. Sh. Ananth
Kumar agreed to send a team of experts on building material technology
to Ghana to popularize low cost building materials. Senoiur officials
from the ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation
attended the meeting.
