Delay in file clearance hits dredging work
BIWTA equipment worth Tk 750 crore, including dredgers and vessels, lying idle
ANISUR RAHMAN KHAN
Valuable equipment worth Tk 750 crore, including dredgers and vessels, of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) are lying idle and suffering deterioration as a file containing the BIWTAs manpower requirements is not being cleared by the finance ministry, according to sources.
This is also hampering the Prime Ministers priority projects under the capital dredging scheme, the sources said.
Certain finance ministry officials are allegedly holding the file for over three months now, apparently for scale vetting, despite the submission of all documents, sources concerned said.
ATM Siddiqur Rahman, deputy secretarry of the finance ministry, has been instrumental in this regard, the sources added.
Its true that some finance ministry officials are holding the file for over three months. As mnay as 14 dredgers and 27 vessels are lying idle for a long time due to manpower shortage, BIWTA chairman Commodore M Mozammel Huq said yesterday.
The shipping secretary has already been informed about the matter, he added.
The public administration ministry, on December 4 last year, had approved the creation of 312 posts in the BIWTA to enable the operation of dredgers and vessels, the BIWTA chairman said.
The Finance Division under the finance ministry approved the creation of 312 posts on July 11 this year. The shipping ministry sent the file to the Finance Division again on July 30 for scale vetting. But the officials concerned are yet to take a decision despite the submission all documents, Huq noted.
The implementation wing of the Finance Division is intentionally delaying the release of the file, he alleged.
At present, were operating 24 dredgers with our limited manpower. The projects that have been taken up under the capital dredging scheme, including the PMs priority projects, are getting delayed because of the manpower shortage. If the finance ministry releases the file soon, well be able to expedite our dredging work, said the BIWTA chairman.
The dredgers and vessels would suffer more damage if the finance ministry continues to delay the clearance of the file, he observed.
Were discussing the BIWTA file. The matter would be resolved within the shortest possible time, said Ilias Lashker, joint secretary (implementation wing) of the finance ministry.
He also said that there is some problem with the file, but the matter would be resolved soon.
