House Rent Allowances: Not for those who avoid staying in govt houses: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the government officials and public university teachers who do not stay in the houses and quarters earmarked for them will not be given any house rent allowances.

Presiding over the weekly Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) meeting, she also directed the finance ministry to take necessary steps to that end, said Ashadul Islam, senior secretary of the Planning Division, after the meeting.

Hasina gave the directions while talking about the first revision of the project to further develop Rajshahi Science and Technology University with the additional cost of Taka 259.17 crore, he said.

The Tk 340-crore project, originally planned to be completed by June 2020, was given a two-year extension at the meeting.

Ashadul added that it was seen that many government houses and quarters have been lying empty as a good number of teachers and government officers do not stay in their designated homes.

"If the houses remain vacant for too long, there is a lack of maintenance, which ultimately destroys the properties," he said.

Officials said that many government officials and university teachers outside the capital prefer staying in rented homes and not at their allocated quarters. If they stay in their allotted quarters, they do not get the rent allowance, which is usually more than the rent.

According to them, a teacher or government official in the capital get 50 to 60 percent of their basic as house rent, and those working in metropolitan cities get 40 to 60 percent. Those working outside the capital and metropolitan cities get 35 to 45 percent.

At the meeting, the PM also directed all universities to form a "master plan" so that there are no unplanned constructions of building or infrastructure on the campuses.

She added that "rate schedules" prepared by the executing agencies must get approval from the finance ministry before the project gets government approval.

The Planning Commission must scrutinise whether the rate schedule was approved by the finance ministry, Ashadul quoted the PM as saying.

Officials said that on many occasions executing agencies bring changes in the rate schedule and that causes an increase in the project cost.

Ashadul said the finance ministry has already issued a circular in this regard to effectively address the issue of rate schedules and the Cabinet Division is also taking due measures.