DCs asked to be vigilant on corruption

The deputy commissioners (DCs) have been asked to send information about corruption to the Cabinet Division through confidential reports if they face any obstacle in sending such information directly to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

In meetings of the officials of 16 ministries, ACC, and the deputy commissioners on the second day of the DC Conference at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital on Monday, the DCs were also asked to become vocal against the negative propaganda regarding the country’s development, said sources present at the meeting.

After the session of the ACC, its Chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah said that the DCs always have to be apprised of all the activities in the district. Therefore, if there is any irregularity or corruption in their area, they should know about it first and take steps in this regard.

The ACC chairman said he asked the DCs to send the information that is needed to be sent to the ACC. If for some reason there is a problem in sending it directly, the DCs can include it in the confidential report they send to the Cabinet Division every 15 days. Then the ACC will know about it too.

He said, “Without the DCs’ help, we cannot prevent corruption smoothly. They have been asked to assist in the campaign, our activities, and the officers and employees at the divisional and district levels so that corruption does not happen.

“I told the DCs to first ask themselves whether they themselves and their offices are free from corruption. If your office is not free from corruption, make it free of corruption first. Not only their own offices, the DCs should try to make the offices at the district, upazila and union levels free from corruption as well. Get rid of corruption from your own house, and then keep track of other corruptions.”

DCs asked to raise voice against defamation

Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali has asked the DCs to raise their voices against the negative propaganda of the political opponents about the government’s development activities.

He said, “I told DCs broadly one thing: now we have reached the highest position in independent Bangladesh. Development indicators are increasing. All indicators are rising; there is no uncertainty, no pessimism. A false propaganda is being conducted regarding these.

“A campaign is going on saying that nothing has happened.… You (DCs) will show the real picture, so that the people will know.”

DCs propose 4 new bridges

The DCs have proposed to build four big bridges in different regions of the country to increase connectivity.

Bridges Division Secretary Monjur Hossain said that the DCs have proposed to build a bridge across Barguna’s Betagi River, and three others connecting the Bahadurabad and Balashiareas, Rajbari and Paturia areas and Cox’s Bazar and Maheshkhali areas.

“There are plans, which will be implemented one by one,” he added.

Railways Minister Md Zillul Hakim said that the number of inter-city trains and manpower will be increased from next year, when the shortage of railway coaches and engines will be over. To increase the services, division of the railway into four zones is under consideration.

“We have given instructions to close the illegal crossings. I have given instructions to recover the encroached railway land,” he said.

State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said that DCs have been instructed to hold at least one meeting a year of the district and upazila level committees on river protection. In districts where there is no such committee, instructions have been given to form the committee.

He also said that, “There are project managers to implement various projects. Apart from them, the district administrations have been instructed to look after the implementation of the projects as an additional responsibility. Therefore, from now on, the opinion of the district administrations will be taken in taking up new projects, because a project involves many things, including land acquisition.

“In some cases, it was observed that we have taken a project, but various complications arose while implementing it. The projects will be taken up with the opinion of the district administrations beforehand, so that there are no complications at the implementation stage.”

Responding to a question about the Teesta River, the state minister said that, “The government is working on Teesta. The prime minister has said that the ‘Teesta Master Plan’ will be implemented. That means it will be implemented.”

Universal pension, tourism focused

In the DC conference, there was a discussion about formulating a tourism master plan and taking necessary measures for the development of tourism industry in the light of it, appointing one additional deputy commissioner and one assistant commissioner in each district for the development of tourism industry across the country, and identifying 13 districts with tourism potential, said the Cabinet Division.

Apart from this, there has been a discussion on the formation of inter-ministerial and district level task forces to popularise the Universal Pension Scheme, creation of a database of floating population and formation of circles with one or more upazilas to increase income tax services, said a notification of the Cabinet Division.