Wheat under FWP finally going back from Nilphamari
Project proposal could not be submitted as ruling party men allegedly demanded 50pc of allocation
Three hundred and twenty-four tonnes of wheat allocated for rural infrastructure development programmes in Saidpur upazila of Nilphamari district in 2009-10 fiscal year (FY) is returning back as no project proposal was submitted within June 29 deadline.
Several union parishad chairmen in the upazila said the situation has arisen as union level ruling party men demanded almost half of the food grains allocated for each project as condition for approval of the project proposals.
Letters were sent to concerned UP chairmen several times to submit project proposals as early as possible but no proposal was submitted, said sources at the office of project implementation officer (PIO) in Saidpur.
Meantime, the deadline for implementation of the programme in FY 2009-10 expired on June 29.
"Food grains under food for work programme and test relief programme allocated for the upazila is returning back as the project committees have not submitted any development projects," PIO Anwar Hossain told this correspondent a couple of days ago.
In FY 2009-10, 324 tonnes of wheat was allocated in Saidpur upazila under food for work and test relief projects to implement various rural infrastructure development programmes, said sources.
Every year the government undertakes rural infrastructure development projects under food for work programme and test relief programme in lean period in different upazilas of the country, they said.
These programmes meant for repairing damaged roads, drains and culverts, clearing dirty and polluted water bodies, filling up of unnecessary ditches, renovating playgrounds, excavating rivers provide employment opportunities for the poor people in rural areas.
It comes a boon for a large number of ultra poor people in the rural areas when there is no work in farmlands.
To implement development programmes, projects are sought from local people. People of different areas form project committees and frame project proposals to submit to upazila PIO office with recommendation of concerned union parishad (UP) chairman for approval of the higher authorities.
Several UP chairmen alleged that union-level ruling party leaders had demanded giving fifty percent of wheat allocated against each project for 'creating party fund' as condition for getting approval of the projects.
The UP chairmen did not accept the demand and so, they could not submit any project proposal, they said.
"If we meet the demand of giving fifty percent wheat to the ruling party men the project work would be of much lower quality. I do not want to go to jail on charge of misappropriating government wheat by doing low quality work or showing fake projects," said Kamarpukur union parishad Chairman Shafiqul Islam.
"By claiming major portion of food grains against the projects ruling party men are hindering the rural development works and depriving the ultra poor people from getting jobs," said Saidpur upazila Chairman SM Obaidur Rahman.
Asked about the matter, Saidpur upazila unit Awami League General Secretary Akhter Hossain Badal, also chairman of Saidpur Municipality, said, "The allegations of UP chairmen are false. Why did they (UP chairmen) not lodge any general diary if anybody in the name of ruling party illegally demanded fifty percent of the wheat allocated for projects?"
Holding the UP chairmen 'solely responsible' for lack of vital rural development works in the upazila, the AL leader said, "Due to non-cooperation of the UP chairmen, the ultra poor people are deprived of getting food grain in lean period."
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