Initiating dist-level budget demanded
Sunday, 22 May 2011
FE Report
Members of the civil society organisations Saturday demanded initiation of district-level budget to make it effective for people of all levels. Mentioning the present budget as a colonial top down process, they said there is no alternative to district budget to achieve Vision 2021. A total of 14 rights-based civil society organisations, led by EquityBD, organised a rally in front of the National Press Club in the city where they urged the finance minister to keep his promise of initiating district budget as he committed in parliament last year. SM Saikat of Sirak Bangladesh said that in the present system, there is no means to monitor the budget by the district-level people; that's why it creates the opportunity of corruption. Feroz Ahmed of Lead Trust expressed the opinion that the top down process is basically responsible for increase of regional disparity. Subol Sarkar of Bhumihin Somiti mentioned that the finance minister hardly holds any consultation with farmers. He only takes opinions from businesspeople and the urban elite, which is not a fair process in a democratic society. Sohel Iqbal of EquityBD urged the government to review the process of budget preparation as only the prime minister and the finance minister have the authority in this connection. Mostafa Kamal Akanda of EquityBD moderated the rally.
Members of the civil society organisations Saturday demanded initiation of district-level budget to make it effective for people of all levels. Mentioning the present budget as a colonial top down process, they said there is no alternative to district budget to achieve Vision 2021. A total of 14 rights-based civil society organisations, led by EquityBD, organised a rally in front of the National Press Club in the city where they urged the finance minister to keep his promise of initiating district budget as he committed in parliament last year. SM Saikat of Sirak Bangladesh said that in the present system, there is no means to monitor the budget by the district-level people; that's why it creates the opportunity of corruption. Feroz Ahmed of Lead Trust expressed the opinion that the top down process is basically responsible for increase of regional disparity. Subol Sarkar of Bhumihin Somiti mentioned that the finance minister hardly holds any consultation with farmers. He only takes opinions from businesspeople and the urban elite, which is not a fair process in a democratic society. Sohel Iqbal of EquityBD urged the government to review the process of budget preparation as only the prime minister and the finance minister have the authority in this connection. Mostafa Kamal Akanda of EquityBD moderated the rally.