PM intervention sought for clearing jobs
The Cabinet division has sent a note to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, seeking the PM’s intervention for clearing the files which have piled up since various ministers and state ministers have not carried out office work at the Secretariat since December 8. The note was sent on Sunday following an unscheduled discussion at a meeting, held at the Secretariat with Cabinet secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan in chair, sources in the Cabinet division disclosed.
At the meeting, secretaries of six ministries — civil aviation, water resources, health, commerce, women and children’s affairs, and youth and sports — expressed frustration over the situation. They requested the Cabinet secretary to find a solution as soon as possible to keep the government running, the sources added.
The secretaries also informed the Cabinet secretary that a number of important files has not been cleared because six ministers and state ministers are absent.
Under the Rules of Business, the files have not been cleared as the ministers’ signatures have not been appended, a high-ranking official of the Cabinet division told The Independent.
“There are three options — either the PM should take responsibility for the ministries concerned, or new ministers should be appointed for the respective ministries,” he said. Quoting clause 3(4) of the Rules of Business, the official said that they have sent a note to the Prime Minister seeking instructions on how to clear files which have piled up in the respective ministries. Under the clause, “The Prime Minister may assign a division or a ministry or more than one division or one ministry to the charge of the Prime Minister, a minister, or a minister of state.”
As per clause 32 (2) of the Rules of Business, the cabinet secretary can send a note to the Prime Minister to resolve the matter. The clause of the rules says, “If any doubt arises as to the interpretation of these Rules, it shall be referred to the Cabinet division. The Cabinet division shall obtain the orders of the Prime Minister where necessary, and its decision shall be final.” Sources pointed out that most of the ministers and the state ministers among the six were using government facilities and vehicles, though they were not attending their ministry’s offices for the past few days. On December 8, the six ministers and state ministers did not attend a Cabinet meeting, held on December 9, after the Jatiya Party decided not to join the 10th Parliamentary election amid a boycott by major parties.
All the ministers and state ministers had submitted their resignations to their party chief and claimed that the letters were sent by post. However, the Cabinet division has not received the resignation letters of the Jatiya Party ministers till date. Their names still remain on the list of ministers of the Cabinet division.
State minister for sports Mujibul Huq Chunnu told this correspondent that they were not going to their respective ministries as they have submitted their resignation letters to JP chairman HM Ershad. “We will hold a meeting on Monday for taking a decision in this regard. We will be able to resolve the problem within a day or two,” he said. He conceded that the ministries concerned were facing problems as they are absent.
On November 18, a 29-member poll-time government headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was formed. Leaders of the Jatiya Party — Ruhul Amin Hawlader, Rawshan Ershad, Anisul Islam Mahmud, GM Quader, Mujibul Huq Chunnu and Salma Islam — were appointed to the ministry.
-With The Independent input
