ACC reports on systemic graft in Wasa

The probe into Wasa's various projects paints a dismal picture in which project deadlines were extended for no reason, and contractors were paid in full against partially completed work, etc. Indeed, the report goes into minute details of a system which benefitted both corrupt officials and contractors alike at the detriment of Dhaka residents and the national exchequer. How on earth could a department entrusted with something as crucial as water supply and sanitation, for a city of more than 15 million residents, partake in graft year after year without any government oversight? This is a massive failure of governance.

As we stand in mid-2019, none of the eight projects have been completed, and as the report outlines, one particular project—the Sayedabad Water Treatment (Phase 3) project worth Tk 4,597 crore, which was adopted in 2015 and is due for completion a year from now—has made no significant progress. We agree with the ACC's assessment that joint monitoring teams should be set up to check graft, oversee the tendering process and tighten controls over adoption of projects that will have the proper financial checks-and-balances. At the end of the day, there is no alternative to proper oversight if we wish to check corruption that seems to have engulfed this department. Whether the authorities will adopt ACC's recommendations is, of course, another matter altogether.