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Waste extravaganza at water ministry

Planning ministry shoots down a scheme that aimed to spend a fourth of outlay on officials' luxury

REJAUL KARIM BYRON
In an extravagant bid of corruption-driven fund waste, a water ministry project outlay involved buying 416 cars to go with 62 photocopy machines, 510 computers,
123 air-conditioners, 102 slide projectors, 102 fax machines, among other items.
A fourth of the spending of the Tk 954 crore project was on officials' comfort, consultants and out- of-proportion equip-
ment.
But then the planning ministry has rejected the water management scheme that already got the green light of support by the World Bank (WB).
The project was aimed to build
and rehabilitate dams, sluice gates, dredge canals and construct irrigation infrastructures in farmers' interest, but water ministry officials shaped it for personal gains, even deleting some essential components, sources said. The Water Development Board (WDB) in the proposal sought to spend Tk 38.21 crore or four percent of the total project cost on buying 416 motor cars in 'a show of officials' obsession with luxury'.
It also wanted to dedicate two percent of the project cost or Tk 14.70 crore to buying 62 photocopy machines, four heavy-duty photocopiers, two colour photocopiers, 510 computers, 123 airconditioners, 102 slide projectors, 13 multimedia projects, 102 fax machines and 12 laptops.
The WDB proposed to employ 508 officials and employees under the project in what the planning ministry officials saw was unrealistically huge manpower as water resources ministry staff could carry out most task.
The project, seen by many as the use of a sledgehammer to crack a nut, also wanted to spend Tk 29.07 crore on 125 man months of foreign consultants, and another Tk 77.49 crore on 4,852 man months of local consultants.
The WDB wanted to bankroll 2.27 percent or Tk 21.71 crore for construction of buildings and four percent or Tk 41.04 crore for training of officials and employees.
The project, generous in funding unnecessary and inflated components, showed reservation about its most vital component --Tk 67.61 crore agriculture support service and deleted it from the WDB proposal.
"Some engineers and water ministry officials wanted to make personal gains by inflating the project cost," said a planning ministry official, adding: "My ministry is not going to allow this kind of built-in corruption."
The planning ministry has asked the WDB and the water resources ministry to redesign the project in the light of increasing agricultural output and cutting poverty with focus on irrigation.
The water resources ministry should discuss with local administration, people and parliamentarians, it said.
The World Bank had earlier proposed to fund Tk 538 crore in loans and the Netherlands wanted to give Tk 132 crore in grants for the project in an arrangement under which the government would contribute the rest.
The government has already sealed a deal on loans with the WB that has asked the government to get the project approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) by May 31 before signing it.
After the WDB submitted the proposal to the planning and finance ministry through the water resources ministry, it triggered a ripple.
The WDB has so far carried out 200 such projects.
"It's dubious the proposal has sought so many consultants when the water development board has enough experience in similar activities," a source said.
"The WDB has countrywide field-level workers and this project is not so unique that it will need over 508 employees."
Expressing surprise over the WB approval of the project, he said: "How the World Bank that advocates good governance and anticorruption crusade can give nod to such a project?"
"So far I know the WDB had negotiated all the project components with the World Bank."