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4 News analysis

JS bodies' anti-graft moves turn futile

SHAKHAWAT LITON
The parliamentary committee system is a glaring example of how a good initiative to curb corruption and irregularities in the government machinery turns futile due to lack of cooperation from the ministries and the government high-ups.
Different parliamentary bodies have formed as many as 120 subcommittees in the last two years to probe allegations of corruption and
irregularities against ministers and officials, but only 20 of them submitted reports, that too after a long delay, sources said.
The activities of a good number of vital parliamentary standing committees have also raised questions about whether the committee system is effective in curbing irregularities.
Undue pressure from the government high-ups has compelled a
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number of committees to shelve "sensitive issues" involving ministers, alleged the committee chiefs.
Besides, several committee chairmen have expressed frustrations over their "inability" to do something against corruption as ministries often do not comply with the recommendations they make after investigation.
All the committee chairmen, chosen from the ruling parties, do not dare to criticise the activities of the ministers who are senior to them in the party.
At the very beginning, most of the committees started functioning with a positive note, taking a bold stance against allegations of corruption and irregularities of the ministries and forming dozens of enquiry committees.
But the enquiry committees failed to make any progress as the committee chairmen and members kept silence on the allegations. None of the much-talked-about allegations was raised in the committee meetings for discussion.
Sources said the chiefs and members of many committees are reluctant to probe the allegations as they enjoy various facilities from the ministries.
A large number of committee chairmen use the vehicles of the respective ministry although they are not entitled to it. There are allegations that many of them take the favour of ministers for their business.
Talking to The Daily Star, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Moudud Ahmed said the committee system is more effective than the House to make the government accountable to parliament.
"Eighty percent accountability of the executive will be ensured if the committee system functions properly," he said.
Asked about the non-functioning of subcommittees, the law minister said it depends on how the parent committee [standing committees] deals with a matter.
INEFFECTIVE COMMITTEES
The parliamentary standing committee on communications ministry had formed two subcommittees in January and February 2004 to probe the alleged irregularities in the import of CNG autorickshaws and allocation of land to set up CNG refuelling stations.
Members of the committee at a meeting held the communications minister responsible for the irregularities. But the two subcommittees have failed to probe the allegations. The subcommittees have not yet submitted their reports.
Ruling BNP lawmaker SA Khaleq in the House accused the state minister for communications of taking Tk 25 lakh as bribe to allocate land for setting up CNG refuelling station in the capital.
The parliamentary standing committee on power, energy and mineral resources ministry found gross irregularities in the installation of gas pipeline along the Bangabandhu Bridge approach road and the purchase of three-phase electric meters.
The committee asked the ministry to stop payment to the company for the pipeline installation but later it withdrew the objections for mysterious reasons.
The committee also blasted the state minister for power after detect-
ing irregularities in the process of purchasing 8,000 electric meters but later stopped the proceedings.
The parliamentary standing committee on forest and environment ministry received scores of allegations against the officials of the forest department and formed five subcommittees but none of them pursued the probe and submitted report.
The parliamentary standing committee on land ministry on several occasions accused a few developers of grabbing several thousand acres of public land. The committee, which investigated the allegations, is now silent for unknown reasons.
The parliamentary standing committee on private members' bills and resolutions expressed frustration on several occasions as the speaker did not allow it to place the private members' bills in parliament after scrutiny. Even the committee members threatened to resign in protest against the interference.
Irked by the ministry's reluctance to implement a number of recommendations on farm subsidy to reduce sufferings of the farmers, members of the parliamentary standing committee on agriculture ministry also threatened to resign from it.
The parliamentary standing committee on commerce ministry blasted former commerce minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury for price hike of essentials but it chose to keep mum after Altaf Hossain Chowdhury replaced Khasru.
The parliamentary standing committee on defence ministry initiated discussion on the court martial of 17 navy officials accused of irregularities in the purchase of a "low-quality frigate" but the government high-ups have stopped the move, sources said.
Aiming to reduce the number of ministries, the parliamentary standing committee on establishment ministry started discussing the matter but did not proceed further.
The Institute of Parliamentary Studies funded by UNDP initiated steps to hold a series of dialogues among the committee chairmen, ministers and secretaries. The government high-ups stopped the move after a dialogue where the committee chiefs blasted the ministers and officials for not cooperating with them to dig out the irregularities.
None of the three post-1990 parliaments saw the parliamentary committee system function effectively. During the 1991-96 BNP government, the committees headed by ministers did not perform their task to oversee ministry activities as they were reluctant to discuss the alleged irregularities and corruption in their ministries.
The 1996 Awami League government wasted about one and a half years to form the standing committees. However, it amended the rules of procedure of the Jatiya Sangsad to appoint non-ministers as committee chairman.