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Funds used, work invisible

Pabna story tells how public money for zila parishads gobbled up

Ahmed Humayun Kabir Topu
A brand new sound system was installed in Sujanagar upazila auditorium of Pabna at a cost of Tk 8 lakh, according to official documents. But there is no new sound system in the auditorium.
How did the sound system disappear? Well, local lawmaker of ruling Awami League Azizul Huq Arzu has the answer. "Pabna Zila Parishad did not set up
the sound system at all," he told The Daily Star.
He claimed that he repeatedly insisted the zila parishad to work according to rules but it has not done so. He questioned the use of the allotted money in 2014-2015.
Take another example. A tree-plantation project worth Tk 5 lakh at Pabna University of Science and Technology (POST) was officially implemented 100 percent during the same year.
During a recent visit to the PUST, this correspondent found only two trees planted on campus under the project.
Faruk Hossain Chowdhury, assistant director of public relation department of PUST, said he learnt that a tree plantation project was taken up by the zila parishad and that 10 to 15 trees were planted.
"I don't know anything more about the project,” Farukadded.
A project worth Tk 1 lakh on consumer rights awareness was completed in 2014-15, says a project completion list of the parishad. Some billboards were supposed to be set up for creating awareness among people but those were not seen in the district town in the last three years.
These are among 102 development projects that "had been implemented" in the fiscal year 2014-2015, according to the zila parishad's annual project performance report.
Local AL men and people close to the zila parishad administrator were awarded the work, sources in the parishad said, adding that in most cases there was no tender floated.
In the last five years, Pabna Zila Parishad spent Tk 31.5 crore for around 1,000 development projects, officials in thezila parishad said.
A former official of the parishad said in most cases, the administrator took up projects of his choosing and the work was shown completed in official documents.
“In the same way, most of the development project fund has withdrawn without any work but nobody dares to protest as he has political backing,” said a former parishad official on condition of anonymity.
District AL leader Saidul Haque Chunnu was appointed administrator to Pabna Zila Parishad by the LGRD ministry in December 2011. He is one of the 61 district administrators appointed for the same number of the district councils.
The administrators get monthly remuneration and allowances of more thanTk 30,000. He is also entided to a vehicle and fuel allowances.
A district council on average gets around Tk 5 to 6 crores annually from the government for different development projects and activities, including construction of roads, culverts and schoolcollege buildings, said a senior official of the LGRD ministry.
Besides, a district council earns a huge amount, more than what the government gives it, from its own sources like leasing out ferry terminals, land, markets as well as renting out auditoriums, rest houses, and other establishments, he said.
Like other MPs, lawmakers of Pabna district are advisers of the zila parishad. However, lawmakers in the district allege that the administrator, Chunnu, has been running the parishad at will.
Criticising Chunnu, Pabna-2 constituency lawmaker Azizul Haque Arzu said the parishad never invited him to any coordination meetings.
He said lawmakers are advisers of the zila parishad and are supposed to take part in monthly coordination meetings.
Arzu said the administrator sometimes calls him for sending project lists but there was no follow up.
Golam Faruk Khandaker, AL MP of Pabna-5 constituency, also president of district AL, echoed the same.
"The administrator talked to me some times. Those were informal talks. But I was never invited to attend the parishad meetings," he toldThe Daily Star.
'EVERYTHING DONE PROPERLY Contacted, Chunnu denied the allegations brought against him. He claimed that all the projects taken by zila parishad had been successfully implemented.
“Zila parishad takes up development projects with reserve funds of the parishad and the government's allot-
ment for the annual development projects (ADP). All the projects have been conducted as per government's project implementation method," he added.
He said lawmakers were informed about all the development funds. MPs were invited to attend every meeting but nobody joined, he claimed.
When pressed with detailed and specific allegations of corruption, he refused to comment but said everything was done according to the rules.
Talking to The Daily Star, Accountant of Pabna Zila Parishad Surujit Kumar Majumder said a total of Tk 31.5 crore ADP fund from fiscal years 2011-12 to 2015-16 had been spent.
He claimed that over 1,000 projects were completed in the last five years under the supervision of the administrator.
"All the projects were implemented according to government rules," he added.
Surujit further said a project involving around Tk 2 lakh could be implemented by the project implementation committee without floating tenders. A project worth overTk 2 lakh has to be completed through proper bidding.
THE REALITY
Zila parishad sources said in most cases there was no tender announcement for inviting bidders, except for big projects. People chosen by the administrator got the job, manipulating the bidding process.
They added that sometimes the parishad cut project cost to under Tk 2 lakh to have the job completed without needing to float tenders.
Pabna Zila Parishad officials seeking anonymity said the administrator himself chooses the person to complete the project and in most cases the entire project fund is shown used with little or no work done.
MORE EXAMPLES
According to the annual progress report of the development project, the zila parishad authority allocated Tk 3 lakh from the ADP fund for constructing new classrooms in Chaikola Degree College in Chatmohor upazila.
The parishad revised the project and spent Tk 2.85 lakh for constructing rooms in 2012-13.
Contacted, Saiful Islam, principal of the college, said they only got a check for Tk 1.5 lakh.
"We have got the check for the development project and we will complete the work according to the college government body's decision," said the principal.
The annual report of the parishad, however, claimed that 100 percent of the work was done and it was completed through properbiddingprocess.
In the year of 2015-16, the parishad allocated Tk 1 lakh for constructing a boundary wall for the Bishnapur Kali Mandir of San thia upazila of Pabna.
The parishad in its annual report claimed that the work was done.
Contacted, secretary of the temple Ranjir Kumar claimed that they only got a check forlk30,000 a year ago.
"We spent Tk 2 lakh for the wall collecting Tk 1.7 lakh from locals," Ranjit Kumar said, adding that he did not know about the allotment ofTk 1 lakh.
According to the progress report of the development projects, the zila parishad allocated Tk 2 lakh for Sonatola High School's development in Santhia upazila and the same amount to Monjur Kadir Mohila College in Bera upazila in 2015-16.
No work was done in the institutions but official documents say the work was complete.
Talking to The Daily Star, Colam Moula, headmaster of the school, and Mostafizur Rahman, principal of the college, said they only got information about the allocation a few weeks ago but were yet to get any money.