Appalling state of City Corporations

It is appalling to see that despite the bifurcation of the Dhaka City Corporation, meant to provide better services to the urbanites, there is no sign of any improvement in their basic services. Take the instance of garbage for example. It seems there is no planned daily routine on the part of the City Corporations to rid the city of the mounting garbage that remain spread all over the places.  In the main road of Baridhara, garbage get piled up all day long. Throughout the day garbage from houses are being dumped on the main road. Although the garbage is cleared by 9/10 pm, there is no arrangement for watering the place. British High Commission is only 50/60 feet away from the spot. Qatar embassy is nearby So is the Indian High Commission. There is no one to look after the sorry state of affairs in the area.

An official of Dhaka South City Corporation informed that no specific spot has been fixed for garbage collection. The contractors themselves decide on their own. And since they use Jatiya Sramik League banner, the administration staff do not bother to touch them. In most of the areas garbage is kept at the entry points of the lanes causing serious environmental hazards.
All over the city, garbage is seen overflowing from dustbins. The scene is almost the same all over -- in Kotwali, Bangsal, Jatrabari, Chawkbazar and Mirpur. The dustbins are not cleaned for weeks. Local people occasionally raise money to cleanse the dustbins.
The City Corporation was divided into two entities for giving better service to the city dwellers but they are not able to provide minimum services. It is learnt that the users of equipment of waste management department, fuel oil issuing authorities, expenditure controllers and the drivers have formed a nexus and are engaged in oil pilferage. The oil pilferers realise bills in the name of abandoned transports. They buy cheap mobil and submit bills for high grade mobil. They submit false vouchers for repair of vehicles. Bribe is being collected before giving allotment of transports to drivers.
There are reports that 45 per cent of fuel is removed from heavy equipment. As a result waste management system has broken down. In Amin bazar areas, nearby rivers and waterways are filled with garbage resulting in serious environmental pollution.
As regards other public services, the role of the City Corporations is pathetic. Previously, birth registration was available in one or two days but now it takes10/15 days. If you want to expedite, it will cost money. A good deal of the services of the City Corporations has deteriorated reportedly due to reckless malpractices on the one hand and on the other promotion of partisan interests by those in power.  
There is no qualitative improvement in service delivery because of the bifurcation of the City Corporation, commented the former chairman of TIB. The corporation was divided for political reasons. The decline in service delivery is thus expected.
 In the past two and half years since the City Corporation was bifurcated, the two entities could not finalise the manpower requirements under them. Ministry of local govt has reminded the city corporations several times but without any result. Dhaka South City Corporation reportedly submitted a proposal for manpower of 2500 but the ministry of local government rejected the proposal as this was not found to be a practical one. It has been learnt that Dhaka North City Corporation could not prepare a proposal because of the discontent of the officials. Both the Corporations are not in a position to make a sound and workable proposal, allegedly because of vested interest of old and new officials. Some internal problems are holding back a solution.
The newly created Corporations were supposed to hold elections within 90 days. But no election has been held in two and half years. The Corporations are run by govt officials instead of elected representatives. This is believed to be another reason for the utter malfunctioning of the City Corporations.
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