Minister vows to eliminate corruption from land offices

CHATTOGRAM, Feb 03 (UNB): Issuing a strong note of warning, Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed on Sunday said the practice of corruption and harassment of service-seekers must be stamped out from land offices.

"I don't want to hear any excuse or complaint. You please get straight," he said during a surprise visit to the land acquisition section of the district administration at noon.

During the sudden visit, the minister talked to service-seekers, listened to their problems and enquired about the activities of the officials and employees of the office.

One Shihab Uddin from Banshkhali complained of harassment against surveyor Parameshwar Chakma holding on his file.

Later, the minister called the surveyor and expressed his resentment at him, saying, "Why is this tendency of putting files on hold going on? Why're you harassing people though we want to serve them?"

He said no practice of harassment of service-seekers and corruption can be there in the land offices. "We've developed a system in this regard. Apart from making people aware, we're trying to change their mentality," he said.

Talking to reporters later, the minister expressed satisfaction at the performance of the high officials, saying the lower-tier employees have some problems. "Generally, the rot starts at the top. However, as the top is now strict, everything must be okay at the bottom, too," he said apparently referring to him.

He also said all the measures will be taken to ease people's sufferings in land office.

Deputy Commissioner of Chattogram Md Ilias Hossain was present on the occasion.