Photo : Collected
The state minister for Shipping, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, has expressed his apparent annoyance towards the project directors due to the lack of overall progress in the development projects under the Ministry of Shipping.
It has also been known that the junior minister has warned the project stakeholders of action if found guilty.
According to sources within the ministry, the state minister said if any negligence and inefficiency are found in the implementation of the project, action will be taken against those responsible. If necessary, officials from other departments will be brought in as project directors, and those who perform well will be rewarded.
These instructions were given to the project directors during the annual development program (ADP) implementation progress review meeting held at the Ministry of Shipping recently. During the meeting, problems in the projects were discussed, with State Minister of Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury presiding over it. This information was gathered by speaking to several officials who participated in the meeting.
Officials said that during the meeting, it was emphasised to complete the projects within the stipulated period. The directors were instructed to frequently visit the project area to monitor activities, and the proposed Detailed Project Plan (DPP) of new projects was to be prepared in a manner that necessitates no revision at a later date. All project directors were instructed to strictly adhere to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s directives to save money and complete work on time.
Furthermore, extension of project duration and costs was discouraged. The state minister emphasised completing the four projects planned for completion in the current fiscal year at any cost. When asked about this, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury told The Daily Messenger, “Some projects are progressing slowly. Project directors have been given several instructions to expedite their work.”
It is known that the status of each project is highlighted through a PowerPoint presentation during the meeting. The Ministry of Shipping is implementing 31 projects in the current financial year (2023-24), with 28 projects under ADP and three self-financed projects. The allocation for projects is Tk 10,147.14 crore, and the overall progress of the projects till February is 13.99 percent.
In the proposed Revised Annual Development Program (RADP), project debt has been reduced by Tk 3,551.73 crore. Dissatisfaction was expressed during the meeting over the return of the money for foreign loaned projects. There has been widespread criticism regarding the slow progress of projects under the jurisdiction of Chittagong and Mongla ports in particular.
Additionally, during the meeting, the Director of Bangladesh Regional Inland Water Transport Project-1 (Chattogram-Dhaka-Ashuganj and connected waterway excavation and construction of ancillary facilities, including terminals) informed about the World Bank’s directive to stop terminal building due to land acquisition complications in Narayanganj. Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury expressed his anger at the incident, questioning whether the project director works for the World Bank or the government.
Moreover, dissatisfaction was also expressed during the meeting over the slow progress of BIWTA’s River port construction in the Chilmari area (Ramana, Joragach, Rajibpur, Roumari, and Nayarhat) project. The project director has been directed to repeatedly visit the project area. Furthermore, the state minister for Shipping expressed displeasure as the progress of the EGIMSS project of the Directorate of Shipping has halted.
Messenger/Fameema
