PDs of 63 RHD projects changed

In a rare move, the road transport and bridges ministry has changed the directors of 63 projects of the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), aiming to facilitate their quick implementation.

The ministry made the decision "as a part of its efforts" to execute the prime minister's directive to ensure "one project, one project director," officials said.

However, even after the major reshuffle, several project directors (PDs) have to deal with more than one project.

The ministry issued 11 separate circulars in this regard last week, around two months after the deadline to inform Prime Minister's Office about the measures.

As per the existing rules, each development project will have a permanent project director.

In a letter sent to different ministries and agencies, including the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED), on January 20 this year, the PMO said it has found that an official of the RHD was working as PD of 14 projects.

Two officials were PDs of 13 projects each, five officials were PDs of 10 or more projects each, while 38 officials of the Local Government Division were PDs of at least two or more projects each, reads an IMED document.

The PMO said similar pictures were found in the ministries of power, energy and mineral resources, railways, water resources, and housing and public works.

"The prime minister termed it 'worrying' and gives directives to take immediate action," reads the IMED document, citing the PMO letter.

Following the directives, the railways ministry has changed directors of 17 projects of Bangladesh Railway on February 22, the last day to inform the PMO about the measures taken by respective ministries.

RHD FACES DIFFERENT REALITY

RHD is responsible for the construction and maintenance of the major road and bridge network in the country, which sees major growth in this sector in the last decade.

There are 22,362 km of national and regional highways and district roads -- of which, 3,943km are national highways, according to the 2019-20 annual report of RHD.

Besides, RHD is now implementing around 200 development projects and it is not possible to appoint a separate director for each project with its existing manpower, RHD officials said.

There are some 220 to 230 officials -- from executive engineer to additional chief engineers (including current charge) -- in RHD, who are eligible to be PD.

But, many of them have particular jobs and mega projects require around 10 such officials, they said, adding that in this given situation, it is not possible to give separate PD for each project.

RHD is now implementing 20 mega projects currently, as mentioned on the website of the road transport and highway division.

In this given situation, the road transport and bridges ministry, RHD, and the project-related committee of the government held several meetings to find out a solution regarding the prime minister's directive, sources at the ministry said.

"We have received several directives in this regard and changes of PDs is a part of the process to implement prime minister's directives," an official of the ministry told The Daily Star wishing not to be named.

He said they even appointed an official from RHD headquarters as PD of projects under Mymensingh zone, which indicates their intention to implement PM's directive, he said.

Usually, a project under a particular zone has a PD from that particular zone, he added.

Contacted, AKM Manir Hossain Pathan, additional chief engineer (planning and maintenance wing), said the changes were brought to reduce pressure on some particular officials.

Replying to a question, he said the work dynamic of RHD is quite different from many other agencies.

He said each RHD zone has a particular setup led by an additional chief engineer and comprising with other officials and used to implement projects as a whole unit and who is project director matters very little.

Replying to another question, Manir said although the scope of work at the department has increased manifold in the last two decades, their manpower has not increased accordingly.

He, however, said they have sought additional manpower.

As per the existing organogram, RHD has 9,430 posts including 624 posts under cadre services. However, many posts remained vacant, RHD sources.

RHD submitted an organogram of 22000 manpower, of which 1,992 would come through BCS, they said.

If the new manpower is approved and recruited, then it would be possible to appoint separate PD for each project, they added.