City BNP rejected yesterday Dhaka City Corporation's annual budget for 2000-2001 year, saying It is a “budget of plundering and looting."

"The city dwellers cannot accept the budget presented by a failed. Incompetent, corrupt and partisan mayor.” said city BNP President Sadek Hossain Khoka MP. He called upon the city people to build up a mass resistance against the "misdeeds and repression" of Mayor Mohammad Hanlf and his party.

Speaking at a press conference at Jatlya Press Club. Khoka said Mayor Hanif has so far placed seven budgets but all of these have failed to address the existing problems. Instead, these created unspecified number of new problems.

Khoka said the Awami League terrorists and party men backed by the mayor looted hundreds of crores of taka, unleashed a reign of terror and made life of city dwellers miserable In the last six years.

He said the new budget like the other six previous ones is also an ambitious one and it provides enough room to loot and plunder crores of taka. Quoting press reports, he said the treasury of the DCC is now fully empty and salaries of staff were disbursed from the development expenditure without any recommendation of the government.

Even the DCC at the dictate of the mayor borrowed Tk 4 crore from the provident fund of the workers and employees of the corporation. "The Mayor is using the city corporation s coffers as if it is his own purse." he added.

The city BNP president, who has been declared by the party as BNP candidate for next mayoral polls, said Mayor Hanif and his associates in the name of elimination of mosquito have been looting huge amount of

money every year.

The mayor Is also looting money in the name of renovation of roads, lanes, footpaths, road lights, and maintenance of the city.

He said the DCC purchased GO.000 litres of Mortein insecticide at the rate of Tk 326 per litre in 1996-97 fiscal whereas the Chittagong City Corporation purchasedthe same insecticide the same year at the rate of Tk 90 per litre. The Mayor looted Tk 40.60 lakh only from purchasing Mortein in one year, but this Insecticide did not kill mosaulto.

The BNP leader said the mayor illegally sold out the basement of a large number of markets including the City Plaza. Nagar Plaza. Zaker Super Market and markets at Fulbaria and Kaptan Bazar.

Khoka said the Mayor and his party men are also minting money by giving Illegal license to over three lakh rickshaws in the city. The number of rickshaws with valid license is only 86.000 while about four lakh rickshaws ply in the capital, he added.

He said a cattle market at Bananl was allotted at Tk 7 lakh, but the mayor all on a sudden cancelled the market on environmental ground. However. Awami League men set up the market, but the DCC didn't get a single paisa from this cattle market.

Khoka said the Mayor violating all rules and regulations allotted the Slddique Bazar Market, Fulbaria DCC Hawkers Market. Siddique Bazar Small Traders Association Market. Adarsha Hawkers Market, Gulistan Old Bazar Hawkers Market, the site for rehabilitation of Motijheel thana hawkers members and market adjacent to Gulshan-2 mosque to the AL men. Similarly 222 shops of Mohammadpur Krishi Market were not allotted among the 600 genuine applicants.

The DCC also constructed 550 shops on 55 decimal of DIT lands in 1997 and sold out those illegally Mayor Hanif and two AL ward commissioners were directly involved In this corruption. Khoka added.

The BNP leader said the mayor spends about Tk 10 crore every year from the special fund, but this money has been distributed only among the AL ward commissioners.

Referring to renovation of Dhanmondi lake, he said the DCC allotted Tk 8.60 crore for the development of Dhanmondi lake, but later the amount rose to Tk 13 crore. The mayor increased the allocation violating the rules of financial management of the DCC.

He said the younger brother of the chief executive officer of DCC, who is a relative of the prime minister, is misappropriating crores of taka in the name of contract.

About the environment of Dhaka city. Khoka said although Dhaka has been declared a mega city, there is no allocation in this year's budget for environment.

Quoting a World bank report. he said some 15,000 people are dying every year In the city and lakhs of people have been suffering from various complex diseases due to environmental pollution. Of the affected, 60 per cent are children.

Khoka also alleged that the mayor is not carrying out any development works and also not allotting money for the wards where BNP men is elected as commissioner.

BNP leader and former mayor Mirza Abbas, city BNP general secretary Abdus Salam, DCC commissioners loyal to BNP including Kazi Abul Bashar. Chowdhury Alam. Abdul Majid. Nabiuliah Nabi. Go-lam Morshed. MA Qaium and Mokbul Ahmed Akand attended the press conference.