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Conflicts hamper development

‘DCs inform ministers

M Abul Kalam Azad and Hasan Jahid Tusher
The country's deputy commissioners (DCs) allege that a prevailing tension among members of the parliament (MP), upazila nirhahi officers (UNO), and elected representatives of local governments over their jurisdictions has been hampering normal functioning of local administrations as well as development activities.
Speaking in separate meetings with different ministers in Bangladesh Secretariat yesterday, many DCs pointed out that the multilateral tension was mainly sparked by disputes regarding who will have how much control over various development programmes like food forwork, vulnerable group feeding (VGF), and vulnerable group development (VGD), and the row is marring the government’s image.
The issue came up prominently in the DCs meeting with LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam. The DCs
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said there was no coordination in field-level activities and called upon the government to resolve the problem without any delay.
To strengthen local government bodies, they demanded amending the Union Parishad Act, Upazila Parishad Act and District Panshad Act.
On die second day of a three-day conference of DCs, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Food and Disaster Management Minister Md Abdur Razzaque, Land Minister Rezaul Karim Hira, Manpower and Employment Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Social Welfare Minister Enamul Haque Mostafa Shahid. Health Minister AFM Ruhu 1 Haque, and Commerce Minister Faruk Khan addressed the DCs, telling them about development plans and projects of respective ministries. They also sought the DCs cooper- • ation in implementing the pro-f^cts," giving necessary instructions.
The conference is the first of its kind since the A warm League-led government took over the helm of the country in January this year.
"The government will soon take steps to resolve all the problems, if necessary it is ready to amend relevant laws," the LGRD minister told the DCs.
"New draft laws delineating the powers of union parishad chairmen, vice-chairmen, and upazila nirbahi officers will also be presented in the parliament very soon," Ashraf added.
DC of Bogra Md Iftekharul Islam Khan told The Daily Star that the LGRD minister assured them of finalising jurisdictions of UNOs’ and elected representa-tivesof upazila panshads.
"Since the upazila parishad system is new in the country, it is natural to have some problems in it," said Ashraf, who is also the newly elected general secretary of ruling Awami League. He urged the DCs to tackle the problems with patience, and to help in successful implementation of his ministry's various projects.
He informed them that the parliamentary’ standing commit -tee on LGRD ministry has been discussing the prevailing complexities, to find solutions.
Ashraf said the current government wants to usher in positive changes in the country by building a corruption free digital Bangladesh.
"We don't want to revert back to confrontational politics of the past We want to say no to corruption altogether and build a poverty free Bangladesh.''he added.
He also pledged to provide cars for upazila chairmen soon. "The government is considering doubling the salaries of village defence forces," he added.
Taking to reporters after the meeting, Ashraf said he told the DCs not to compromise with corrupt people and criminals facing pressure from ruling party leaders and workers. "Corruption and terrorism will be checked if police and civil administration work together."
DCs of Chittagong, Comilla, Noakhali, Narsinghdi, Magura. Panchagar, Satkhira, Faridpur, and Jessore spoke in the meeting with the LGRD minister, revealing the ongoing tension among MPs. upazilachairmen, and IJNOs.
The DCs also raised the issue in their meeting with the food and disaster management minister.
They suggested bringing changes to the food for work programme, as according to them, the existing method of implementing the programme g. 1 ve rise to the ongoing rivalries.
I his is damaging the govern ■ ment's reputation," one of the I X is told the minister.
DCs from coastal areas requested the minister to con stnict more cyclone shelters. Ihe . minister said a total ol 2,000 shelters will be built in coastal areas, construction for 800 of ' which are already underway.
Razzaque also briefed the DCs about different projects and programmes of his ministry, and sought their cooperation in im piemen ting those.
Responding to a suggestion of the DCs for importing more essential commodities through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), Commerce Minister Faruk Khan urged them to pay more attention to curbing pnce hikes of essentials during the Muslim's holy month of Ramadan.
" Iwo dealers in each upazila will be appointed for sellingTCB imported commodities for fair prices," the DC of Bogra told The Daily Stat quoting Faruk Khan.
When the DCs drew Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury's attention to adulterated fertilizers being sold on the market, she directed them to seize and destroy those.
She also asked the DCs to help Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation in implementing various agricultural development projects to boost production, and to promote marketing of agro products in their districts.
She said the agricultural sector must be modernised and a database of all fanners across the country must be prepared in a bid to build a digital Bangladesh.
"We raised the issues because we want an end to the tension between elected local government representatives and the central government administration following the revival of upazila panshad system," said a deputy commissioner.
The DCs are scheduled to meet more ministers today.