The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Shawkat Ali, has expressed his unhappiness over the slow pace of development work and people’s suffering inflicted by river erosion in his constituency Shariatpur.
“Big projects worth hundreds of crores of taka are being approved but not implemented,” Shawkat said at an event in Parliament on Thursday.
Parts of the Shawkat’s Shariatpur-2 constituency were lost to river erosion recently.
“Preventing erosion requires dredging. But a project takes 50 years to be formulated, designed and implemented. Everything is eroded by then.”
“The government should respond instantly to people’s alarm calls. Smaller projects should be taken up instead of pursuing big ones only to finish work fast.”
Shawkat said he felt frustrated with the department responsible to protect areas threatened by rivers.
“I am an optimist. But I feel frustrated at times. Entire villages were swept away by the river, and I have failed to be of any help.”
“I have been to the ministry and the directorate concerned but did not see much work being done.”
A private group arranged a discussion for youths from Shariatpur, Thakurgaon, Sirajganj and Kishoreganj areas to exchange their views with the Deputy Speaker.
Source: Bd news24
