FROM PAGE 12

when work opportunities are thin and food falls short in rural homes.

The correspondent recently visited at least 56 such project sites in Natore Sadar upazila and found multiple evidence of corruption and irregularities.

A project initiated to convert a piece of land into a playground at Chandpur village in Kafuria union, with Tk 3.28 lakh allocated, was supposed to employ poor people for the work.

But the project authorities simply brought soil from elsewhere in trucks and dumped it to fill up the site. No poor were able to get work there, said locals and the contractor.

Locals also alleged that the site the project authorities filled up was a pond, though the project guidelines strictly prohibit the filling up of any wetland.

Ananda Biswas, a local who is also a member of the project implementation committee, said, “There was an old pond here. But we are now filling it up to create a playground for children.”

Palash Baroi, president of the project implementation committee, said 100 trucks of soil were required to fill it up. “We have already dumped 70 truckloads of soil and the remaining 30 truckloads will be dumped later.”

Palash said a man named Tusher, who was nominated by the UNO and project implementation officer, has got the contract to complete the project.

Contacted, Tusher claimed that he had done everything as per these two officials’ directives.

Natore Sadar’s UNO Jahangir Alam, however, said he doesn’t know any Tushar and that Palash Baroi was mistaken.

Soil trader Abdul Gaffar, who supplied the soil for this project, said, “I have sold each truck of soil at Tk 1,200. They [the project authorities] asked me to provide 100 trucks of soil.”

As per Gaffar’s estimate, the soil he supplied cost Tk 1.20 lakh against the project’s allocation of Tk 3.28 lakh.

Another project undertaken to repair a graveyard at Chandrakola Purbopara village in Tebaria union was allocated a total of Tk 2.60 lakh for implementation, according to the project documents.

“But the committee’s president told us that only Tk 1 lakh has been allocated for it. He provided us with 7,000 bricks, which might have cost around Tk 70,000,” said villager Moksed Ali.

“We don’t know how the rest of the money was spent,” said Moksed, who is the president of the graveyard management committee.

Contacted, the project implementation committee’s president, Anwar Hossain, however, said the graveyard’s repairs were still going on.

“More money will be given there, if necessary,” he said.

In another project, undertaken at a cost of Tk 5 lakh to repair a road at Pashchim Haguria village in Dighapatia union, local labourers were overlooked and heavy machinery was brought in.

The president of the project implementation committee and a member of the local union parishad, Nadiruzzaman Mridha, said the road was repaired by using an excavator.

Around Tk 1.5 lakh was spent on this project, said Mridha, who added that everything was done following the instructions of Dighapatia UP Chairman Khandaker Omar Sharif Chauhan.

A similar picture was observed in another project to repair an earthen road at Sutradhapara in Dighapatia union.

A project initiated to restore a canal at Ward 9 in Dighapatia union was supposed to be completed by June 30. But the work only started on July 1.

Interestingly, the Natore Sadar upazila’s project implementation officer sent a report to the higher authorities claiming that the project works had been fully completed by June 30, according to documents seen by this correspondent.

Around Tk 5.81 lakh was allocated for the project and poor people were supposed to be employed for the work. But the project authorities used an excavator instead.

Local people alleged that a maximum Tk 1 lakh might have been spent for the project.

Contacted, Dighapatia Union Parishad Chairman Khandaker Omar Sharif Chauhan admitted that some corruption took place in a few projects.

“I have deployed some of our party [Awami League] men and union parishad members to check the corruption,” said the UP chairman.

About the delay in starting project works, he said the allocation had not been disbursed on time.

Md Sumon Ali Sardar, member of Ward 6 of Dighapatia union and general secretary of the union’s Awami League unit, said day labourers were not available due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “That is why excavators were used as per the directives of the project implementation officer.”

Sumon, who looked after the project works on behalf of the UP chairman, admitted, however, that documents submitted to the higher authorities showed that poor people had been deployed in these works.

However, Natore Sadar upazila’s project implementation officer Omar Khayyam denied allegations of corruption and claimed that everything was done as per the rules.

Contacted, Natore Sadar Upazila Parishad Chairman Shariful Islam Ramzan said he had heard about some allegations of corruption in these projects and he would investigate the allegations and would take necessary actions.

Natore’s Deputy Commissioner Shamim Ahmed said an investigation will be conducted to check whether any corruption took place or not.

Necessary legal actions will be taken if the allegations are found to be true, the DC added.