ADP: Ex-ministers, MPs' 'arbitrary' projects get cancelled

 

Bangladesh Railway initiated the project to build a railway factory in Rajbari, the constituency of former Railway Minister Zillul Hakim. The project’s cost exceeds Tk 75 billion. However, the interim government is set to cancel the project pending approval.

Top officials at the Ministry of Railways have stated that the railway currently operates two factories: one in Pahartali, Chattogram, and another in Syedpur, Nilphamari.

Due to a shortage of manpower, low allocations, outdated machinery, and lack of raw materials, both factories are underperforming. The initiative to build a new factory was taken without first modernising the existing two.

This issue is not limited to railway factories. The government plans to cancel "politically motivated, unprofitable, and unimportant" projects across various ministries, including railways, roads, education, information technology (ICT), disaster management, environment, and local government.

The construction of a flyover in the haor area of Kishoreganj began last year in the interest of former president Md Abdul Hamid. Approximately Tk 56.51 billion is being allocated for the project

An analysis of data from 10 ministries has identified at least 35 projects that will either be cancelled, have their allocations suspended, or see cuts in spending. The total cost of these projects exceeds Tk 1 trillion.

Earlier, during a meeting with officials from the Planning Commission on 19 August, Wahiduddin Mahmud, the planning adviser to the interim government, directed them to list projects that were politically motivated and deemed less important. In response to this directive, ministries and departments began preparing lists of such projects.

Of the 35 projects that are set to be cancelled or postponed, some are already in progress, some have just begun, and others have yet to start. Several projects are still in the approval stage. Ministry officials have noted that the number of projects on the cancelled or postponed list is likely to increase.

Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, adviser to the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources, told Prothom Alo that projects initiated by the previous government are being cancelled based on three factors as following whether the project addresses the needs of the people,  what the returns (benefits) of the project will be, and w hether the project poses any environmental harm. He also emphasised that many projects were launched for political reasons and would be scrapped accordingly.