Stopping misuse of fund for road repair

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) report on irregularities, if any, in the construction of roads and highways, now under perusal, comes as a step in the right direction. Complaints of use of substandard materials, deliberate avoidance of proper construction process and method, tinkering with plans etc., have mounted without redress. Instances of roads, bridges and culverts developing cracks, potholes or even the whole structure coming down crumbling are not few. Some effective measures were warranted in order to stem the rot. The ACC initiative should make up for the measure. But much depends on how the matter is followed up and actions taken against those who are found guilty. Hopefully, the ACC will continue to keep watch over the sector in order to take use of fund to a logical conclusion.

An opinion survey by the World Economic Forum finds the roads in Bangladesh among the worst in Asia. It is ahead of Nepal with the worst quality of roads. Lack of resources and hilly terrains are responsible for Nepal's road woes. Authorities in Bangladesh also advance inadequate fund allocation for the poor quality of roads here. True, repair and maintenance of roads are a continuous process without attention of which the problem escalates at a faster pace. But this alone is not the whole truth. Proper use of funds is most essential in order to construct, repair or renovate roads and highways. When road infrastructures develop wear and tear within a few days or months or simply fall apart, no expert opinion is required to tell where things went wrong. Engineers, contractors and construction firms collaborated viciously in order to maximise profit. Newspapers regularly publish pictures of bridges built without approach roads or in desolate areas or in paddy fields. These are an indication of the limit to which corruption is pushed in the sector.

Yet another report published a year ago maintains that 37 per cent of the country's roads and highways are in a terribly bad shape. Clearly the situation has become worse since then with the floods in the country's north taking a heavy toll on roads and highways in that region. Last year's 37 per cent may now have gone up to a level where the major portion of roads and highways are in a bad shape. A law enacted on July 22, 2013 stipulates that on its coming into effect, a road maintenance fund board were to be set up with the power to have a fund for repair, renovate or maintain Roads and Highways Department (RHD)'s communications network. Also it would be empowered to collect money through taxes, levies, fees and charges.

The maintenance fund board is yet to be activated and so the condition of road maintenance remains where it was. If the proposed board is empowered with the duties and responsibilities as enunciated in the law, there is a possibility of getting things right in the areas of road construction and repair. Constant monitoring of the works at the field level by the board and the ACC will leave little room for manipulation and irregularities in the sector.