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IMED Findings

Projects fail over lax planning, monitoring

Rejaul Karim Byron
Poorly designed projects and their haphazard implementation in the absence of strict monitoring led to total failure of many projects and wastage of public funds.
Computer labs were set up and left unused, computers purchased for official use were taken away by officials for private use and modern medical equipment bought for hospitals were lying unused.
Project authorities purchased motorbikes, power tillers, power sprayers, germinators, seed refrigerators and tubewells for agriculture extension at a cost of crores of taka, but many of these remained unused even after completion of a project.
These were some of the findings of Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) in case of a number of projects com-
pleted in fiscal 2005-06.
The government planned dredging of 118 km of the 200-km long Kabodak river to maintain its navigability, facilitate farm irrigation during dry season and reduce severity of flooding. But ironically, the Tk 26 crore project that began in 2000-01 fiscal year ended with dredging of only 47 km of the river at a cost of Tk 25 crore, the IMED said in its evaluation report
"The project totally failed as navigability of the river could not be restored. Moreover, during rain-fed flooding, the river devoured nearby houses, and agricultural land went under water. This happened for limited budget and dredging of limited pan of the river without any scientific plan."
The report mentioned that under Horticulture Centre Development Project for Chinagong and Cox's Bazar, the
government purchased power tillers, power sprayers, germinators, seed refrigerators and tube wells but most of those remained unused.
The agriculture ministry spent Tk 15 crore to develop 17 horticulture centres in that region. IMED inspected six of the centres and found various anomalies there.
Many of the motorbikes purchased under the project were found packed even after implementation of the project
Besides, computer bought for use at Matiranga Horticulture Centre was found at the residence of an official.
"The reason behind all this is that the materials were supplied without scrutinising the actual requirements," the report said.
The IMED found financial anomalies and very low standard
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construction work at various projects it inspected. All this happened as officials there seemed to have the impression that high-ups were less likely to visit the areas.
In case of the Tk 21 crore Meghna-Tentulia River Erosion Prevention Project, officials 'divided the project into 11 small packages' only to avoid the requirement of approval by the higher authorities and tender process needed under the Public Procurement Regulations.
In the Tk 33 crore project to prevent riverbank from erosion in Tajumuddin upazila of Bhola, the project authorities divided it into 18 packages for implementation
ThelMEDreportsaid. "Dividing projects into packages does not go with the spirit of the PPR."
An official of the water resources ministry noted that projects are divided into packages mainly to avoid accountability to the higher authorities.
As an instance of this, the IMED cited the project to prevent unification of the rivers Jamuna and Bangali at Debdanga in Bogra, which was completed successfully under the supervision of the army.
"The Tk 122 crore project was completed at a cost of Tk 111 crore in scheduled time. Water Resources Ministry can consider the project as a model," the IMED report said.
Under the project for strength-ening the Department of Cooperatives, Tk 10 crore was spent to set up a computer lab in Comilla, but it remained unused. Modern and valuable computers and other machinery in the lab now run the risk of getting damaged.
In Dinajpur, Zia Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Centre and Diabetic Hospital were constructed at a cost of Tk 70 crore, but IMED found that modern medical equipment purchased for these hospitals remained unused. As a result, these may get damaged.