Minister warns BSCIC over plot allotment to non-entrepreneurs

State Minister for Industries Kamal Ahmed Majumder has expressed resentment over allegations that the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) has been allotting plots meant for entrepreneurs to others.

“Any corruption and irregularity will not be tolerated any more. All allegations will be investigated and action will be taken as per evidence,” he said at the inauguration of the BSCIC’s two-day annual conference yesterday.

Majumder directed the BSCIC chairman at the event in the Small and Cottage Industries Training Institute in Dhaka to personally oversee the plot allocation process.

He told the industries secretary to issue a circular for expediting paperwork requiring official attention within a week while project directors to remain at sites to fast track implementation and avoid cost overruns.

On the plot allocation allegation, BSCIC Chairman Mostak Hasan told The Daily Star that they had plots in border areas left unsold for many years and some might have been provided to others to bring some utility. 

Expressing dissatisfaction over the BSCIC’s performance, Industries Secretary Md Abdul Halim alleged that its manpower had none of the skill and dynamism required to develop activities and adopt new ideas.

It had never fulfilled targets of annual development programmes for implementation inefficiencies, delaying project implementation and leading to cost overruns, a waste of public money, he said. 

He was critical of the BSCIC’s plans to set up industrial parks near Dhaka and Chattogram where industries already exist. The BSCIC plots are cheaper, making those lucrative for non-businesspersons, Halim said.

“The BSCIC is not an entity for making profits, its activities encompass social responsibility, creating entrepreneurs and generating employment among rural people,” he said.

Shedding some light on the positives, the BSCIC chairman said they directly or indirectly contributed 9 percent to last fiscal year’s exports through 5,887 production units and till date generated employment for over 8 lakh people. 

He said the BSCIC plans to set up training centres in all districts for encouraging entrepreneurship and providing skills training.

M Abdus Salam, a BSCIC director (technology), delivered the welcome speech.