Tk 200m transacted as bribes for approval of plans at RAJUK a year
Thursday, 23 August 2007
FE Report
An estimated Tk 150-200 million is transacted as bribes each year at RAJUK only for approval of plans, while more than 90 per cent of the city's buildings have flouted construction rules, says a research report.
The report, prepared by the Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB), notes a plot owner has to spend extra Tk 15000-20000 besides official fees for 3-4 kathas of land.
"It's a conservative estimate … Corruption in plan permission process is deep-rooted and the actual amount will be much higher," Md Akter Mahmud, a research fellow at TIB, said while presenting the research findings Wednesday at BIAM auditorium in the city.
"The complicated process of approval of plans seems to be an incentive for taking recourse to corrupt practices. Very often, it's a mutual corruption, as it's a win-win situation between applicants and RAJUK officials," Mahmud added.
TIB, a campaign group, organised the discussion meeting in the city, with TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman in the chair.
According to the research, over 90 per cent of the city's buildings have been erected without following the "Building Construction Rules 1996."
The report pointed its fingers to private housing companies, government agencies and influential people for the violation of the building construction rules, deviating from the RAJUK approved original plan. "Only four out of over 20 real estate developers' housing are approved by Rajuk."
It found that 100 per cent deviation from the RAJUK-approved plan occurred in Bangshal-Tanti Bazar and Mugdhapara-Sabujbagh areas, 96 per cent Khilgaon-Taltala areas, 92 per cent in Lalamatia and Shamoli zones and 96 per cent in Mirpur and Kalyanpur.
"The approval process at RAJUK is so complicated and time-consuming that a few clients are interested to follow the due rules in obtaining official permission," Mahmud said while explaining reasons for corruption in planning permission process.
"Land owners have to wait for more than a year to get permission for land use. As the approval process is full of corruption and bribes, most of the clients accomplish their task compromising with the authorities," he told the discussion meeting.
Quoting a survey on clients and middlemen, Mahmud said around 53 per cent lock themselves into underhand dealings to avert inordinate delay, 22 per cent do the same to avoid unnecessary harassment, 7.0 per cent to escape from continued lobbying with officials and 13 per cent to avoid from complication of plan permission process.
Mahmud, who teaches urban and regional planning at Jahangir Nagar University, said: "Land use pattern change is a good business for RAJUK officials. The main reason behind land use change is the mutual compromise between RAJUK officials and plot owners and pressure from the influential people of the country."
The report recommended that the government should immediately formulate a National Urbanisation Policy and a long-term strategy for city planning to help Dhaka develop a planned mega-city.
"A widespread reform and modernisation at RAJUK is urgently needed to transform the government agency into a transparent, accountable and active organisation," Mahmud said.
An estimated Tk 150-200 million is transacted as bribes each year at RAJUK only for approval of plans, while more than 90 per cent of the city's buildings have flouted construction rules, says a research report.
The report, prepared by the Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB), notes a plot owner has to spend extra Tk 15000-20000 besides official fees for 3-4 kathas of land.
"It's a conservative estimate … Corruption in plan permission process is deep-rooted and the actual amount will be much higher," Md Akter Mahmud, a research fellow at TIB, said while presenting the research findings Wednesday at BIAM auditorium in the city.
"The complicated process of approval of plans seems to be an incentive for taking recourse to corrupt practices. Very often, it's a mutual corruption, as it's a win-win situation between applicants and RAJUK officials," Mahmud added.
TIB, a campaign group, organised the discussion meeting in the city, with TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman in the chair.
According to the research, over 90 per cent of the city's buildings have been erected without following the "Building Construction Rules 1996."
The report pointed its fingers to private housing companies, government agencies and influential people for the violation of the building construction rules, deviating from the RAJUK approved original plan. "Only four out of over 20 real estate developers' housing are approved by Rajuk."
It found that 100 per cent deviation from the RAJUK-approved plan occurred in Bangshal-Tanti Bazar and Mugdhapara-Sabujbagh areas, 96 per cent Khilgaon-Taltala areas, 92 per cent in Lalamatia and Shamoli zones and 96 per cent in Mirpur and Kalyanpur.
"The approval process at RAJUK is so complicated and time-consuming that a few clients are interested to follow the due rules in obtaining official permission," Mahmud said while explaining reasons for corruption in planning permission process.
"Land owners have to wait for more than a year to get permission for land use. As the approval process is full of corruption and bribes, most of the clients accomplish their task compromising with the authorities," he told the discussion meeting.
Quoting a survey on clients and middlemen, Mahmud said around 53 per cent lock themselves into underhand dealings to avert inordinate delay, 22 per cent do the same to avoid unnecessary harassment, 7.0 per cent to escape from continued lobbying with officials and 13 per cent to avoid from complication of plan permission process.
Mahmud, who teaches urban and regional planning at Jahangir Nagar University, said: "Land use pattern change is a good business for RAJUK officials. The main reason behind land use change is the mutual compromise between RAJUK officials and plot owners and pressure from the influential people of the country."
The report recommended that the government should immediately formulate a National Urbanisation Policy and a long-term strategy for city planning to help Dhaka develop a planned mega-city.
"A widespread reform and modernisation at RAJUK is urgently needed to transform the government agency into a transparent, accountable and active organisation," Mahmud said.