Costly complexes unused for years in 8 N-dists
Rafique Sarker from Rangpur
Sixty-one Union Council complexes constructed in eight northern districts to improve services of government agencies and gear up development work are lying unused for years. The complexes were constructed in Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Gaibandha, Panchagarh, Thakurgoan and Dinajpur districts under government's RDP-21 project at a cost of TK 18 crore funded by the Asian Development Bank. The complexes were supposed to house offices of Public Health Department, Ansar and VDP, Live Stock Department, Education Department, Agriculture Extension Department, Family Welfare Office and Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) for better coordination among them to improve their services in rural areas. The government earlier also asked the departments to open offices in the union council complexes. The LGRD Ministry issued an order on June 25 asking the Deputy Commissioners of the districts to sanction rooms in the complexes for the departments so that they can start activities from the complexes. But officials of the departments taking to this correspondent said they are yet to get a guideline on how to run their activities from the Union Council complexes. Besides, there is fund crisis and inadequate manpower. The offices have not yet been supplied with furniture and other logistics, they said. Talking to this correspondent Rangpur Ansar Adjutant Khairul Alam said the government sanctioned two rooms at every Union Council complex for two platoons of Ansar-VDP (male and female). This is inadequate. Moreover, rooms are not all that are needed for an office. "We need furniture and office contingency. How do we meet the expenses?" he asked. Public Health Executive Engineer Fazlul Haque said he wrote to the Superintendent Engineer for furniture for the offices, but to no effect yet. Kurigram Upazila Nirbahi Officer admitted that he got the ministry circular, but cannot implement it till the problems are solved. Chairmen of Tapadhan Union Parishad in Rangpur Sadar upazila said he thinks the complexes can not start functioning in the existing situation. Fund crisis is the main problem. "How can the departments meet the office contingency when government's annual sanction for a UP is only Tk 3 lakh?" Chairman of Modonkhali Union Parishad in Pirganj upazila apprehended that the UP complexes would meet the same fate as community health care centres. The centres in rural areas are closed because of lack of policy, guideline and logistic support, he said.
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