Our Correspondent
SUNAMGANJ, Jan 20: Most of the Project Implementation Committees (PIC) couldn't yet start work on the crop protection embankments due to negligence of officials and delay in water recession in district's haors as yet.
Only a hundred out of the 837 PICs started works till Saturday, sources informed. It wouldn't be possible to complete the job within the government-set deadline, many farmers apprehended.
Farmers on Friday staged human chain and held rallies in Tahirpur and Shulla upazilas demanding immediate start of crop protection embankments as the farming was passing fast.
Farmers like Anwar Mia of Derai upazila said water recession from haors is being delayed yet on many places but the PICs didn't start works intentionally wherefrom water had receded.
An official admitted due to the shortage of field level officials, WDB couldn't complete surveying the scheme sites at places.
A number of farmers in Jamalganj upazila said the schemes were to be started from 15 December and to be ended by February 28, things could not be started as yet. "How could we expect seeing things ready in time?", questioned farmer Anwar Mia.
However, WDB Executive Engineer Abu Baker Siddique said 38 sub-assistant engineers had been posted in the district for completing things. Works on all the schemes would be started within days, he claimed.
WDB this year would repair and reconstruct on crop protection embankments through PICs, in place of contractors. The decision came in the pretext of last year's huge crop damage due to errant embankments by the contractors in connivance with officials.
Meanwhile, the water resources minister Anwar Hossain Manzu at a meeting on Friday at the Sunamganj Circuit House assured steps would be taken against corrupts so that there would be no repeat of devastating crop damage in Sunamganj haor areas this year.
State minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan and senior secretary of the Water Resources Ministry Zafar Ahmed Khan also addressed while lawmakers, local elite and government officials and political leaders attended. Acting Deputy Commissioner Md Emran Hossain presided over the event.
"We would also propose to the Prime Minister for monitoring by high-level teams over the work of the embankment in Sunamganj", the minister added.
"None would be spared for any irregularity while the government had assured sufficient funds for the schemes", he further said. The minister visited some of the project works in the district on Saturday.
The government sanctioned Tk 1000.6 million for protecting crops inside 36 haors in Sunamganj this time.
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