They said due to interference of upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) and non-participation of UP chairmen at district development coordination committee (DDCC), much-needed projects cannot be taken up.

Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club, Bangladesh Union Parishad Chairmen Samity (BUPCS) President Mir Enayet Hossain Montu said the UP level projects are placed at the upazila development coordination committee (UDCC) for primary selection.

The meeting is attended by UNO, officials of other departments at upazila level and the UP chairmen.

The selected projects are then sent to the members of parliament (MPs) who are the advisor of the UDCC. They re-scrutinise the projects on the basis of their own choice and then send them to the DDCC where the minister-in-charge of the district or the MP as its chairman approves the projects finally.

"As a result, many important projects are either consciously or unconsciously excluded," said Enayet Hossain.

Besides, there are evidences that many urgent projects could not be implemented timely as ministers or MPs concerned remain out of the country or find no time to attend the DDCC meeting, he added.

Enayet Hossain said money allocated this year to repair flood damaged roads under 'Food for Work' programme was so meager that even 20 percent of the work could not be completed.

BUPCS Secretary General Abul Haris Rikabder said the authority of auctioning major markets and leasing out of water bodies has also been transferred to the UNOs. "This has created fund constraints at the UPs violating the power of the peoples' representatives and hampering the rural development," he added.

The UPs are supposed to get one percent of the total land registration fees, but that is never given to them. The UP chairmen have to persuade the UNOs to get that revenue, he said, adding, "It is really pity for the peoples' representatives to request their own employees for fund."

BUPCS Publicity Secretary Abdur Razzak Pintu said the honorarium of a UP chairman and a member is only Tk 500 and Tk 300 respectively which is very disgraceful for them.