Hiring 'assistants' with half their own salary

They were recruited on master roll (contractual) basis and their salary is not more than Tk 20,000, but some revenue inspectors of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) recruited their “own assistants” at Tk 10,000' per month -- to do their dirty deed.

On behalf of the inspectors, these “assistants” used to visit households, tamper with meter readings and bills, and take bribes for doing so, said Md Salahuddin, Assistant Director of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) who led a drive at Dhaka Wasa's revenue office-10 in Mirpur. 

“They recruited assistants to keep their image clean,” he said, adding, “They gave Tk 10,000 to 12,000 per month to their assistants.”

All these were found yesterday in an ACC drive, led by Salahuddin at Dhaka Wasa's revenue zone-10 office.

Later, Wasa sacked revenue inspectors Emdadul Haque, Ashraful Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan, Badruzzaman, Abu Taleb and Abu Talha.

Salahuddin said they got allegations on its hotline that revenue inspectors of Wasa's revenue zone-10 do not dispose of complaints on time, and prepare forged bills.

ACC's Director General and acting chief of prevention cell Dr Sarwar Mahmud sent a team at the spot to investigate the complaint.

In front of the ACC team, Revenue Officer of Revenue Zone-10 Shafiqul Islam asked revenue inspectors about the location of some holdings, but they failed to mention where they are.

At one point, they admitted of having “recruited assistants” to do their work.

Talking to the correspondent, Shafiqul said, “We have found irregularities against the revenue inspectors and sacked them.”

Sarwar welcomed Dhaka Wasa's move to fire its inspectors, and said they will continue their drive to curb corruption at government offices, says a press release.

The boundaries for the Mirpur Revenue Zone-10 of Dhaka Wasa lies between Rokeya Sarani-Pallabi on the west, Bijoy Sarani on the south, Kochukhet-Cantonment on the east and Mirpur Ceramic area on the north.