Public sector development projects often hit newspaper headlines because of irregularities involving them. For a section of people, these projects are simply milch cows. Taxpayers' money is pilfered and wasted through procurement and execution processes right and left. The issue is discussed at all levels, even at the highest level of the government, but there has been no escape from the plunder.
'Balis kando' and 'Parda Kando' (massive-scale financial irregularities in the procurement of pillows and curtains) in a couple of large development projects are still fresh in the memory of all. The stories of such misdeeds had made their rounds and eyebrows were raised just because of the scale of misappropriation (the prices of some items were quoted 50 to 60 times higher than their actual prices). They, however, did not expect that the relevant authorities or the government would do anything substantive to stop the recurrence of similar acts in the future.
So, the practice of irregularities has been going on unabated. A few of them have come to light, courtesy of the media, and many more have gone unnoticed. A vernacular daily a couple of days back ran a front-page story on one such development, highlighting how irregularities engulfed an education sector project that has been taken up for implementation sans the all-essential feasibility study. However, instances of taking up projects for execution without a feasibility study are many. Political expediency and intervention by influential quarters are behind such an irregular practice.
The project in question was taken up in 2017 for constructing 320 buildings and addition of upper floors to 102 existing buildings in government secondary schools. The project also includes the distribution of sports materials to secondary schools. The deadline for completing the project was June 2021.
But during the last six years, the construction of only one out of 320 buildings could be completed and the project, obviously, is experiencing both cost and time overruns, a very common practice in the country's public sector development arena.
The project director concerned, however, has shown his uncanny promptness in procurement. He has allegedly purchased four luxurious motor vehicles at a cost of Tk 30 million, furniture and other office equipment without floating any tender.
It remains a puzzle as to why most big and medium-scale public sector projects would need sports utility vehicles (SUVs) or 2,600cc to 3,000cc four wheelers. The top officials of respective ministries/divisions usually show special interest in procurement of such vehicles for development projects for reasons understandable. A sizeable number of those vehicles are taken out of projects and used by the top notches of ministries/ divisions. These vehicles are in addition to the ones officially allotted to them.
The reasons behind time and cost overruns involving the development projects are many. Wrong selection of project directors is one. On most occasions, people having no expertise in development project executions are chosen. Here, individual choice plays a part. Besides, one official is given the responsibility of implementing multiple projects. This affects the pace of execution of projects.
The Implementation and Monitoring Evaluation Division (IMED) is supposed to play a very important role in the administration process of development. Whether that agency is doing its job properly and efficiently remains a big issue. Going by the developments involving government projects, one might raise questions about its performance. So, IMED needs to revamp its role. It also needs some independent authority to look into allegations of corruption and other wrongdoings.
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