Bureaucratic tangle delays work: Minister

A minister said in Parliament yesterday that timely implementation of the Asrayan Project for rehabilitation homeless people was being hampered because of bureaucratic tangles, reports UNB.

"You never know how much of work is being hampered because of bureaucratic complexities," said State Minister for Land Rashed Mosharraf while discussing the thanks motion on presidential speech.

He said: "If the bureaucrats cooperate and the local MPs look after the projects in their areas, we'll be able to fulfill our commitment to rehabilitating 2 lakh landless families on Khas lands by the end of March."

The government has so far rehabilitated 50,000 landless families on 30,000 acres of Khas land. A total of 1.37 lakh acres of Khas land has been allocated for the housing programme for the poor.

However, the government has a long-term plan for expanding the project provided more Khas land is available.

"All the activities of government are aimed at welfare of the poor", Rashed Mosharraf told the House.

Housing and Public Works Minister Mosharraf Hossain informed parliament that the government would soon establish National Housing Authority to extend the facility of planned housing to the people living at Thana and Pourashava levels.

"We'll take up housing projects in every thana and pourashava under the proposed Authority," he said, adding that middle class and lower middle-class people will be given preference in allotting plots in these housing projects.

"The past governments' programme targeted the rich but our government aims to extend housing facility to all sections of society," he said.

Rajuk, in the past, allocated plots only to the rich but now it has taken projects for others as per government's directive, Mosharraf said.

Over 2 lakh flats will be constructed on eastern side of the Baridhara posh housing enclave for the middle-class people, the minister informed the House.

Referring to the accommodation arrangements for the participants of the NAM conference to be held in the city next year, the minister gave a list of government steps.

The steps include extension of Sheraton and Sonargaon hotels, construction of a new five-star hotel near the airport and two three-star hotels in Chittagong.

Moreover, 24 thousand flats will be constructed before NAM conference. After the conference, 216 suites will be allocated to the MPs.

Others who took part in the discussion are Abdul Hakim, Meher Afroj, Dilara Haroon, Habibur Rahman Mollah, Shajahan Khan, Abul Kalam Azad and State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Begum Zinatunnesa Talukdar.