Large-scale irregularities unearthed at two livestock dept projects

FHM Humayan Kabir | Published: April 17, 2011 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

FHM Humayan Kabir
Large-scale 'irregularities and shoddy works' were unearthed at two projects of constructing upazila-level service centres of the livestock services department, officials said Saturday. The officials said the implementing agency has built faulty and low-quality buildings, for livestock centres in some upazilas under the two schemes, costing a total of Tk 832 million, without procuring necessary materials. The government's project monitoring and evaluation body IMED has found corruptions and shoddy works in the projects, as the implementing agency has constructed the buildings without providing all facilities and defying the project plan. The IMED (Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division) has already recommended the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock to take action against the shoddy works and irregularities, officials said. The IMED has found the irregularities in the Setting up of Upazila Livestock Development Centre Project, costing Tk 455.8 million, and in the Second Participatory Livestock Development Project, costing Tk 376.4 million. In 2005, the Department of Livestock Services undertook the Tk 455.8 million project to build 98 well-equipped upazila livestock centres for development of the country's livestock services in the rural areas. The IMED in its project evaluation report said the livestock centres were constructed without any design, and their quality was very poor. The same scenario was found in the Tk 376.4 million cost project also, where the constructed upazila livestock centres were found faulty and of very poor quality. The project evaluation report of the IMED said no microscope, sterilizer, veterinary aid kit box and surgical kit box was found in the newly set up livestock service centres. "When the IMED team visited some project sites, the authorities concerned failed to show any design of the constructed buildings," a senior government official told the FE. "Even cracks developed on the walls of some of the newly constructed buildings. Some contractors have withdrawn bills against their construction, without completion of the entire work," he said.