Files ‘vanish’ at advisor’s house: Ctg mayor

Chattogram Mayor Shahadat Hossain has accused the Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Advisor Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain of not approving files related to city projects.

Speaking at a programme at Chittagong Independent University on Monday, he said several major projects were stuck at the ministry, alleging that files go missing once sent there, as the advisor takes them home.

“This is the pathetic scenario we are facing now. Files disappear from the ministry and never come back,” he said.

The mayor claimed projects backed by the UK, Japan and Korea had been delayed for months, while a Tk 4 billion equipment project was reduced to Tk 2.98 billion at the finance ministry, with only Tk 600 million allocated as a grant and the rest pushed as a loan at five percent interest.

He added that outdated machinery and stalled approvals were hampering efforts to address waterlogging in the city.

Responding to the remarks, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant to the chief advisor for telecom and ICT, said government revenues were limited and urged the mayor to make use of the funds already allocated.

“Please take the fund that has been given and start work so the people of Chattogram are not deprived,” he said.

He noted this year’s progress in tackling waterlogging and stressed that the city corporation must generate its own revenue instead of relying heavily on central government support.