Govt purging 'political' projects from dev prog

The interim government gets tougher with politically motivated and less-important projects as it has started scrapping such schemes from the current Annual Development Programme (ADP), officials said on Tuesday.
It is also not allowing any pipeline projects, which were undertaken and prepared by the Sheikh Hasina-led administration on political grounds.
The Planning Commission (PC) has already delisted a few projects from the ADP of the current fiscal year (FY), 2024-25, and returned pipeline projects to line ministries without endorsement, according to the officials.
It is also cutting less-important components from the ongoing development project proposals (DPPs) of different ministries to rationalise costs and ensure quality.
"We have already reviewed some projects. If we find any politically motivated and less-important projects, we have started to scrap those or cutting less-important components," Md Sayduzzaman, chief of the PC, told the FE.
The Commission lays emphasis on quality rather than quantity of the projects.
"We will never allow any less-important and politically motivated projects in future too," asserted Mr Sayduzzaman.
The ousted Hasina government undertook a Tk 2.78-trillion ADP incorporating 1,326 development projects for FY2025.
The FE has found some ongoing projects or components in the project proposals, which have already been delisted from the Tk 2.78-billion ADP.
Of them, the PC cut the construction of Tk 14-billion modern silos with the facility of paddy drying and its conservation project.
It also recommended scrapping a Tk 1.14-billion procurement of vehicles and equipment at Rangpur City Corporation project and the installation of Tk 4.90-million street lights.
The interim government's highest economic policy-making body, ECNEC, has rejected the revision proposal of Tk 60.50-billion land acquisition for widening the Faridpur-Bhanga-Barisal-Patuakhali-Kuakata road project.
Besides, the Commission is going to scrap a couple of infrastructure projects at the Rajshahi City Corporation and a component for construction of Ramu-Ghundum section on the Dohazari-Cox's Bazar-Ramu-Ghundhum project.
It has also decided not to endorse the project evaluation committee-approved politically motivated projects during the Hasina administration.
It will not proceed with such a Tk 16.54-billion proposed Infrastructure development scheme in Rangpur as it was taken on political grounds.
A senior civil servant at the infrastructure division said the Commission has taken a tougher stance on the ongoing and pipeline projects.
"Firstly, we are not encouraging ministries and implementing agencies for revision, and time and cost extension of ongoing projects. If we find less-important component in any project during our review, we are scrapping it from the approved DPP."
"Recently, our division has recommended road transport and bridges ministry to put on hold the MRT-05 (south) project proposal and suggested taking MRT-02 as the latter is more important than the former," added the official.
Revision proposals of some ongoing projects of shipping and road transport divisions have already been sent back.
After his takeover, the adviser to the planning ministry told journalists that they would scrap politically motivated and less-important projects from the ADP and also from the pipeline lists.

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