JS body blasts it for sketchy bookkeeping; 4 sub-committees to check graft in jute, textile mills
Staff Correspondent
The parliamentary standing committee on public undertakings yesterday blasted the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) for alleged anomalies in its accounts of expenditure of Tk 1,100 crore in last eight years.
“It is clear that accounts of expenditure of the civil aviation authority was not properly maintained mainly due to corruption,” said Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, chief the committee.
He was talking to reporters after the committee at a meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban discussed the functioning of CAAB.
Besides, the parliamentary standing committee on jute and textile ministry at a meeting yesterday formed four sub-committees to investigate widespread allegations of financial anomalies in the state-run jute and textile mills, and also give reports on their present conditions.
Mohiuddin Khan said the committee headed by him at its meeting found lack of transparency in maintaining accounts of expenditure of CAAB allowing massive corruption.
The office of comptroller and auditor general in its reports has already raised objections about TK 1,100 crore.
Members of the committee raised questions on different matters including anomalies in accounts. “But officials of the civil aviation authority could not give satisfactory answers to the queries,” the committee chief said.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister GM Quader, who attended the meeting on special invitation, also expressed dissatisfaction on the situation in CAAB, Mohiuddin said.
Mainuddin Khan Badal, a member of the committee, said, “The civil aviation authority came up with half cooked documents.”
Another member of the committee, Zainul Abdin Farroque, who is also opposition chief whip, said there was large-scale corruption in the functioning of CABB, which is an autonomous body for management of civil aviation.
It is also responsible for airports’ runways and air traffic control, taxiway, terminal buildings, warehouses, control towers, administrative buildings, car parks, air navigation and radio communication system.
“Analysing the facts, the committee thinks, the civil aviation authority was not able to discharge its responsibilities appropriately,” Mohiuddin said. It asked CAAB officials to come out of the previous ‘culture of corruption’.
The committee also asked CAAB to come up with a report in 15 days on allocations of shopping centres in the country’s three international airports in last eight years.
SUB-COMMITTEES
Members of the parliamentary body on jute and textile ministry at its meeting observed that the stat-run jute and textile mills have become sick due to alleged corruption and mismanagement.
Emerging from the meeting held at the Sangsad Bhaban, committee chief Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury told reporters that the four sub-committees were asked to come up with their reports in a month.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
