Third time’s the charm?

Amid growing allegations that many project and field-level officials of Roads and Highways Department (RHD) are not attending field offices regularly, the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry has come up with almost similar directives it issued earlier to stop the malpractice.

The ministry issued the order hours after Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader had expressed serious discontent over the issue at a meeting with top officials of RHD and SASEC 1 and 2 projects on Thursday.

However, the ministry had issued almost similar directives twice in the last two and half years, and it seems that such directives did not work at all.

Meanwhile, the minister also raised serious questions about the necessity of huge number of project offices in the capital and asked the officials concerned to inquire about the necessity of permanent buildings for projects while preparing those.

As per the Thursday's order, all project and field level officials must attend their respective offices regularly.

Additional chief engineers of all zones must take permission from the chief engineer before leaving work station and also inform the additional or joint secretaries who are responsible for monitoring the particular zones, read the order.

Also, officials at the sub-division, division and circles must have to take prior permission before leaving stations. The order would come into action immediately, it added.

"It has been noticed recently that officials involved in different projects and field level works are not remaining present at office regularly. For this reason, faults have been found in the ongoing projects and the works for constructing quality roads and their maintenance," read the order.

On April 5, 2018, the ministry had issued an order saying many field-level RHD officials remained absent at their office, which was hampering normal works. It asked all field level officials including the additional chief engineers of all zones to take prior permission before leaving work stations.

The ministry on February 2 last year issued the same order saying that "it has been noticed recently that the previous order was not followed properly, which is unexpected."

Asked about Thursday's order, an RHD official involved with a major project, said, "This [order] is nothing new. I think it's a reminder."

The official, wishing anonymity, said a project director (PD) has to attend "numerous" meetings with different ministries and agencies regularly and most of those meetings are held in Dhaka.

"If the number of meetings can be reduced or someone from the chief engineer's office can take part on behalf of a PD at less important meetings or if the meeting can be held through zoom like the way it is happening now, it would be easy for the PD to stay at a project site," he said.

Another RHD official, who is also a PD, said, "Apart from meetings, we have to come to Dhaka on a regular basis as we have to receive all project related expenditure from the capital. This issued should be settled first."

TOO MANY PROJECT OFFICES IN DHAKA IRKS QUADER

Quader yesterday held a virtual meeting over the projects of his ministry, which are being implemented under Indian Line of Credit (LoC).

Apart from Indian High Commissioner Riva Ganguly Das, RHD and project officials joined the meeting.

At one stage of his speech, Quader, also the general secretary of ruling Awami League, said, "I am observing that project offices are being built across the city. Wherever I go, I find project and RDH's offices. Are all these offices necessary?"

He directed the planning wing of his ministry to inquire about the necessary of permanent buildings and other structures for projects while preparing those.

The minister also directed the officials concerned to take necessary initiatives to expedite the projects being implemented under LoC.