In Natore, there have been allegations of looting money in about 50 TR-Kabita project. Thousands of rural workers are not getting the benefits of the government's good initiatives due to the open theft of some rogue officials alleged locals.
However, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Natore has assured to take proper actions after investigating the alleged irregularities.
According to sources, in the fiscal year 2020-21, the government allocated around Tk 1.94 crore for 50 projects in Natore Sadar Upazila under TR-Kabita project which is basically a government project that provides money to poor workers in exchange of work in various govt development projects.
These government projects are aimed at creating employment and increasing income to ensure social and food security of the poor. Despite strict instructions, the project work is going on with machine instead of workers. However, in the name of the workers, the allotted money is being withdrawn and the work is being done after the scheduled time.
Mozaffar Hossain, president of the Karota canal renovation project and Dighapatiya Ward no. 9 member, said the canal excavation work started on July 1. He has withdrawn money in two stages before starting work. The PIO office will pay the rest of the money when the work is completed.
He added that nobody informed him that, instead of using workers, soil digging machine could not be used to cut the canal. He said, after talking to the office, the canal is being cut in this way. Shariful Islam Ramzan, the Chairman of Natore Sadar Upazila Parishad, said there were many incidents of cutting soil with machines instead of labourers at the Kabita project.
Even after informing the project implementation officer, these irregularities are not being stopped. If the soil is dug with machines instead of workers, it will be a big corruption and the government's goal of creating income opportunity for the poor will be thwarted. He demanded that legal action be taken against those who have committed such irregularities.
Shariful Islam Ramzan, joint general secretary of Natore district Awami League allegedly said that, people's money was being embezzled in front of everyone's eyes with the connivance of project implementation officers and district relief and rehabilitation officers.
Meanwhile, it is prohibited to fill ponds or water bodies with the money of the project, but the filling of ponds is going on next to the office of ‘North Bengal Child Development Project’ office in Chandpur village of Natore Sadar upazila. Even soil is being bought from outside there. Although the allocated amount of cost of the project was fixed at Tk 1 lakh, the allocation of Tk 3 lakh 28 thousand taka has been withdrawn already.
Palash Barai, president of the project, said he did not know how much money was allocated. The people in the office have fixed a contractor named Tushar. Palash said that he withdrew the cheques and paid all the money to the contractor. When asked, contractor Tushar said, “100 trucks of soil are being dumped as per the demand of the project committee and we are taking the money”.
The cost for another project of Chandrakala Purbapara Central Cemetery wall construction and earth filling has been fixed at Tk 2 lakh 60 thousand, but the committee and the villagers know about only one lakh of that.
Bisharad Uddin, president of the graveyard committee, said he had heard about the allocation of Tk 1 lakh. The chairman of the project committee has given 7,000 bricks of class 2 which cost Tk 70,000. The rest of the work was funded by the villagers.
Shamim Hossain, general secretary of the project committee, said project president Anwar had just taken a signature from him and he did not know how much was being spent on a project.
Denying these irregularities, project president Anwar said, “Everyone knows about the allocation of Tk 260,000. Work is going on, if the graveyard committee asks for more money, he will give it. And the allocation for road repair in Sutradharpara is Tk 2 lakh 84 thousand”.
Out of 50 projects, almost all the projects have been visited and various irregularities and corruption were seen. Even there is no signboard in any of the projects even though the policy says to give project signboards.
Natore Sadar Upazila Project Implementation Officer Omar Khayyam, who is engaged in supervising of the project, said that in some projects the soil has been cut with machines due to lack of workers amid the corona situation. However, he claimed that when they found out about that, they stopped it.
However, Natore Deputy Commissioner Shamim Ahmed has promised to investigate all irregularities and take necessary action. He said no irregularities would be tolerated in any project of the government. Action will be taken against those responsible after speedy investigation.
