President issues 10-point directives to DCs; ministers talk to them
LGRD minister Syed Ashraful Islam said on Wednesday that all political parties will attend the next general election and accept the results of the poll. “The present administration has already proved that elections can be held in a neutral manner, without army deployment. All local government elections, including seven city corporation polls, have been held in a free and fair manner,” he told reporters after a meeting with deputy commissioners (DCs).“We hope the next general election will also be held in a peaceful and neutral manner,” he said.
When asked if the Awami League would take action against Golam Maula Rony, Ashraf said: “The accused should quit politics. We’ll take punitive action against the accused as per our party strategy. But law will take its own course. Our party will, of course, take steps against him if he is punished by the law.”
At a session of the DCs’ conference, communications minister Obaidul Quader urged the DCs to cooperate to remove traffic snarls and reduce the sufferings of home-bound passengers during Eid-ul-Fitr.
“Local problems are to be looked after by the DCs. It’s not possible for us to resolve all problems as we’re in office only for a limited period,” he told reporters after a meeting with the DCs.
“To keep the road free from traffic congestion ahead of Eid is a big challenge. The DCs have assured us of cooperation in this regard,” he said.
The minister also said that the DCs were asked to widen roads by evicting illegal occupants. “Many public representatives think that eviction drives would reduce their votes. But I think such initiatives would only increase votes,” he added.
“We can’t construct the Padma bridge and Metro rail during this tenure. The next government will complete them,” he said.
Land minister Rezaul Karim Hira, at a session of the land ministry, directed the DCs to resolve complexities in vested properties. “The DCs are playing a vital role concerning lands. We’ve directed them to protect non-agricultural khas lands and to distribute it among the landless,” he said.
The minister said the DCs had taken initiatives to modernise district land offices. He further said that land management would be digitised to reduce sufferings for khariz and other land-related activities. The land minister also directed the DCs to implement the “Cluster Village” programme.
The DC of Tangail district informed the minister that it had taken at least 20-25 years to publish the final survey report after conducting surveys at upazila and district levels. The minister said the ministry would fix a time to complete the land survey within a stipulated period.
At another session on the commerce ministry, commerce minister GM Quader directed the DCs to take strict steps to control prices of essential commodities.
“We asked the DCs how they would control essential prices. We asked them to consider the sold receipt during the market monitoring period. No trader can sell essential items at high prices if bulk and retail prices are ensured during such periods,” the minister told reporters. The commerce minister also directed the DCs to discuss smooth supply of local products with traders.
On restrictions imposed on issuing licences, Quader said: “Many traders have taken several licences on one issue. It’s creating problems and should be stopped.”
The DC of Cox’s Bazar requested the minister to take steps to ensure fair prices for salt cultivators. The DC of Joypurhat told the minister that the Joypurhat Sugar Mill was indiscriminately dumping untreated wastes due to lack of an effluent treatment plant (ETP), thus polluting the environment of the district.
The DC of Narsingdi said local fisheries were under threat due to indiscriminate dumping of untreated industrial wastes into the Meghna, Brahmaputra, Shitlakhya, Arial Kha and Haridhoua rivers. The DCs also suggested that the use of formalin should be controlled. “We’ve already taken initiatives to control the use of formalin. One must ask for the commerce ministry’s approval to import formalin,” said Quader.
President Abdul Hamid asked all the divisional and deputy commissioners (DCs) to discharge their duties with integrity and patriotism with a view to ensuring the desired development of the country.
“Fair coordination is a must to attain success in any work. You’re the chief coordinator of multi-purpose activities of the government at the field level. Your merit and competency will play an important role in implementing programmes of the government and will ensure the expected development of the country. I believe you’ll discharge duties bestowed upon you with integrity and patriotism,” he said.
Hamid said this when the DCs met the President at Bangahaban as part of the ongoing three-day DCs conference. The President in his speech gave 10-point directive to the DCs for further development of 10 different sectors at the grassroots level — education, agriculture, land management, e-service, price control of essentials, conducting mobile courts, reducing child and mother mortality rate, women empowerment, development of physically-challenged people and youth development.
-With The Independent input
