All divisions and sectors under the Planning Commission are poised to wind up projects awaiting approval from the ECNEC as many of those are considered "politically motivated" and less important, PC officials said Wednesday.
Some 40 projects, undertaken by the past Sheikh Hasina administration, are now in the queue before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for its seal of approval.
As per the direction of Planning Adviser of the interim government Prof Wahiduddin Mahmud, the PC has decided to review all those development-project proposals (DPPs) approved by the deposed government, Md Sayduzzaman of the Planning Commission told the FE.
"We have already brought back four projects under our division from the ECNEC wing. We will review those again," says Mr Sayduzzaman, the chief of the Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Institutions Division of the PC.
Another additional secretary at the PC said: "The Adviser has already directed us to bring back all the projects from the ECNEC wing and review those again. If we find those motivated and national priority-less, then we can scrap those."
Only those projects which have merit in public interest will proceed for endorsement at future meeting of the ECNEC, he added.
"After the review, we will place the pros and cons of all the DPPs before the Planning Adviser first. He will finally give us the decision on the fate of the projects we are reviewing," says the additional secretary in explaining the post-uprising government's development priorities.
Meanwhile, the Sheikh Hasina administration had undertaken many unessential and "politically motivated" projects which are likely to be axed to suit the interim government's development-priority pruning to avoid waste of public money.
Another additional secretary, posted at the Physical Infrastructure Division under the PC, told the FE correspondent that they had withdrawn nine projects under their division from the ECNEC for a crosscheck.
"After reviewing all the projects, we will give opinion and place those before the Planning Adviser for his recommendation," he says.
The non-important and politically motivated ones will be scrapped, he adds.
Earlier, the Planning Commission had already completed their project review through the Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) meeting and sent those to the ECNEC Wing for placing before the ECNEC meeting.
The Planning Commission has 15 sectors and 72 sub-sectors under its four divisions. Members of the Commission are the chiefs of the divisions.
Planning and Education Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud at his first office last week instructed the officials concerned to categorize the projects in the ADP, saying that many have been undertaken based on political considerations by the last government.
He also alleged that there was corruption in taking up some projects despite their lesser importance for the country and people.
Allegations have it that the toppled government undertook hundreds of "politically motivated" projects which are less important and less-priority ones against national interest.
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