Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) is in a "hurry" taking up quick-sail projects for upazila-level infrastructure development under MPs' jurisdiction across the country, officials said Saturday.
Allegations have it that projects are being taken up under political considerations owing to pressure coming from some Members of Parliament (MPs).
Most of these public-works projects are below Tk 250 million in cost and the planning minister, under the current law, holds the discretionary power to clear such projects quickly. There is no need to face the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), headed by the Prime Minister.
Government officials said LGED is sending small rural infrastructure-development projects one after another for different upazilas to the Planning Commission (PC) for getting quick seal of approval from the planning minister.
The current trend of sending so many small projects for approval is quite new in Bangladesh.
"Since the allocation of such a project is below Tk 250 million, the LGED need not face the ECNEC. The planning minister can approve those," said a senior Local Government Division official.
He adds: "In case of any hurdles from the PC, MPs can easily request the planning minister to give approval for their respective upazila project."
The official cannot be quoted by name under the condition he spoke about the developments surrounding the ministerial prerogative in project approval.
According to government rules, the planning minister can approve any development project proposal (DPP) with a cost of up to Tk 250 million.
If the cost goes beyond the Tk 250-million limits, then it must get through the PM-headed ECNEC clearance.
When asked, a PC official said in last couple of months they had got lot of small projects worth below Tk 250 million for upazila infrastructure- development works from the LGED.
They are now baffled seeing such a rush of the small projects to the PC, the official said.
"Earlier, the LGED used to send DPP for rural infrastructure development for the divisions or for the greater districts under one big project. But, in recent months, we are getting small projects for certain upazilas. We hardly found this earlier," said one of the PC officials.
According to the Local Government Ministry, they have sent many projects for upazila infrastructure development. They include Tk 240 million rural infrastructure development for Mollahat upazila, Tk 240 million similar project for Fakirhat upazila, Tk 240 million for Chitolmari upazila, Tk 230 million for Kishoreganj sadar upazila, Tk 240 million for Hosenpur upazila, and Tk 230 million for Narayanganj-4 (sadar) upazila.
Those projects have been undertaken under pressure or for the request of the ruling-party men or from the government's very powerful quarters, project- insiders said.
The Local Government Division (LGD) officials said they had been informed that LGED is preparing such kind of many other projects for getting approval from the planning minister as they are under pressure from many MPs across the country.
"Since the LGED has already undertaken such small and less-priority projects in last couple of months, many MPs also now feel encouraged putting pressure on the department.
"So, the LGED is in a hurry to prepare a good number of some fresh projects below Tk250-million cost for getting quick approval from the planning minister," said one LGD official.
The projects are even not enlisted in the green-page (fresh project list) of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) of the last financial year (FY) 2014-15 or that in the new FY2015-16.
Usually, the fresh projects are enlisted in the green-page of the ADP of a certain financial year and are approved by the Planning Ministry or by the ECNEC.
Beyond the list on the green-page of ADP, they usually approve only those projects which are very important and emergency for the state, the PC official pointed out.
The new trend in undertaking small projects on political grounds will not only pave the way for breaking the discipline but will also facilitate misuse of people's tax money "in the name of development", the insiders said.
They said the planning minister should be cautious in the matter of approval for such less-priority projects. He should rather be prompt to allocate more money for the ongoing important projects or for the future priority development projects.
Meanwhile, the government is set to allocate Tk 200 million as development funds to each of the lawmakers in addition to their current Tk 150-million fund under a fresh Tk 61.75 billion project.
Government officials said the LGD would allocate the money for road-and market-development works in each of the constituencies across the country.
The new Tk 61.75 billion project titled "Important rural infrastructure development on priority basis (phase-2)" is waiting for approval by the ECNEC.
Development analysts, however, appeared critical of the government move for allocating such huge amount of public money for less-priority works instead of giving it to the priority projects.
Currently, the LGED is working to execute the first phase of Tk 48.92 billion similar project. Under this project, each of the lawmakers has got Tk 150 million for development of their respective areas. The phase-1 scheme will be completed in coming December.
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Undue haste for projects under LGED for quick clearance
FHM Humayan Kabir | Published: July 05, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: July 04, 2015 23:22:22
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