Investigate the irregularities in Kushtia Medical College and Hospital project

We appreciate the prime minister's direction to the authorities concerned to investigate the delay and cost hike in the Kushtia Medical College and Hospital construction project and take departmental action against those responsible. It is indeed frustrating for both the government and the public to see how many such development projects, which could make a huge difference to the people, get unnecessarily delayed with their costs escalating due to inefficiency or irregularities.

According to a report, eight years after getting the government's approval to set up the medical college and hospital, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the project's implementing agency, could not make much progress in completing it. Although the project, which started in January 2012, was supposed to be complete by December 2014, only 34 percent of the work was completed till December 2019. Meanwhile, the cost of the project more than doubled by the end of 2019. Now the DGHS has again sought approval for a hike in project cost as well as an extension of the deadline.

There were various kinds of irregularities in the project from the very beginning. Reportedly, no feasibility study was carried out before it was approved. There were allegations of using bamboo and wood instead of steel for constructing one of the buildings. The death of a worker was also reported after a portion of an under-construction building collapsed on him. Although the medical college has been admitting 50 students every year since 2012, its academic activities are being held in other buildings without any medical equipment. 

When time and cost overruns in development projects caused by corruption have become almost a norm in the country, the prime minister's directives to investigate the anomalies in this particular project is appreciable. We hope this will give a signal to other project authorities that should also implement their projects in time and without increasing the project cost. If corruption and irregularities in our development projects can be checked through proper monitoring by the government, a huge amount of public money can be saved. To do that, those who are found to be involved in irregularities must be held accountable.