Tk 135cr misused by Gram Sarkar in 4yrs

The parliamentary standing committee on local government yesterday alleged that members of the now-defunct Gram Sarkar units misused and embezzled Tk 135 crore during the last BNP-led government.
It asked the LGRD and Cooperatives Ministry to investigate the wastage of public money and submit a detailed report on the allocation of money at the committee's next meeting.
Now scrutinising the Local Government (city corporation) Bill, the members of the committee proposed two deputy mayor posts, one exclusively for women, for each city corporation, meeting sources said.
In consultation with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the committee will finalise its recommendations to this effect, the sources added.
On the allegation of embezzlement of public money, committee Chairman Rahmat Ali said there were many incidents of conflict over sharing the embezzled money.
"I had to experience such conflicts in my own constituency," he told reporters after the meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
The BNP-led alliance government introduced the Gram Sarkar system in 2003 saying the units will assist the union parishads. But the system became controversial as the Gram Sarker units consisted of the local individuals, most of them loyal to the then ruling BNP.
The then BNP government allocated Tk 181 crore for Gram Sarkar in four fiscal years--Tk 20 crore in 2003-04 fiscal year, Tk 40 crore in 2004-05, Tk 60 crore in 2005-06 and Tk 61 crore in 2006-07 fiscal year.
Of the allocated money, Gram Sarkar spent Tk 135 on "sanitation, tree plantation, preservation of water bodies etc". Remaining Tk 46 crore was sent back to the finance ministry.
While disposing a writ petition, the Supreme Court declared that the Gram Sarkar system was illegal.
The AL-led government repealed the Gram Sarkar Act, 2003, in the just concluded session of the ninth parliament.