The ministry of housing and public works (MoHPW) spent more than 55 per cent of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) budget during eight months of the fiscal year (FY) 2013-14, reflecting a slight improvement compared to that of the corresponding period of the last fiscal.
In the last FY, the rate of development fund utilisation of the ministry was nearly 50 per cent. Of the overall ADP fund utilisation, 58.10 per cent or Tk 3.41 billion was spent in the GoB (Government of Bangladesh)-foreign funded projects and 52.11 per cent or Tk 4.35 billion in the projects of own funds of the various state agencies.
The national average ADP implementation rate until February last was 38 per cent.
These were revealed at a monthly review meeting of the ministry held Thursday with MoHPW Minister Engr Mosharraf Hossain in the chair.
The MoHPW allocated Tk 14.23 billion for 103 projects in the FY 2013-14 where allocation for the GoB-foreign funded projects is Tk 5.88 billion, fund for own financed projects Tk 8.35 billion and Tk 2.97 billion lump sum grants. The number of GoB-foreign funded projects is 27 while self-financed projects are 76.
The minister expressed his satisfaction over the progress of ADP implementation and suggested putting emphasis on the quality of works.
He asked the ministry officials to implement some projects during the tenure of the present government which will be visible and not in papers only. He specially mentioned the Uttara Apartment Project.
MoHPW sources said Engr Mosharraf reminded Rajuk (Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha), Public Works Department (PWD) and National Housing Authority (NHA) to construct at least 0.1 million apartments at their various projects to be allocated among the government employees and common people.
Besides, he asked Rajuk, NHA, PWD, Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), Rajshahi Development Authority (RDA) and Khulna Development Authority (KDA) to take up high-rise apartment building projects on the unused land of the government.
An MoHPW source said the reasons of the progress in ADP implementation are: the ministry carried out the project implementation activities as per the specific work and procurement plan taken at the beginning of the fiscal year. Besides, holding the monthly review meeting of the projects and thereby making the minister, project directors, heads of the agencies, secretary and officials of the ministry accountable has also contributed to the present situation.
