Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has blamed the failure to utilise the Padma Bridge funds for the Annual Development Programme (ADP) falling short of implementation target in the last fiscal year.
“The ADP implementation rate was 91 percent because Tk 33 billion allocated for the Padma Bridge project remained unutilised,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
He had announced on Jan 8 that 100 percent of the programme would be executed in the 2014-15 FY.
Tk 81 billion was initially earmarked for the Padma Bridge in the last FY but was later reduced to Tk 78.65 billion.
But the project authorities had returned Tk 33 billion of unutilised money at the end of the FY.
The planning minister also partially blamed the violence unleashed by the BNP-led alliance in the crucial January-March period for the ADP target shortfall.
The government had adopted a Tk 778.36 billion ADP (revised) but net expenses at the end of the year were Tk 711.39 billion or 91 percent of the ADP.
At a ‘meet-the-press’ event in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Tuesday, the planning minister emphasised an ‘overall system’ change to ensure full implementation.
He said: “If we can’t spend Tk 780 billion, how will we spend Tk 1 trillion? Work has to be expedited.
“Project implementation will be smoother if local people can be engaged in it,” he added.
Kamal talked about action against project directors who, according to him, ‘deliberately’ delay projects.
“We’ve transferred 30 project directors. Through this, we’re giving the message that laxity will not be tolerated,” he said.
The minister urged all to give up the practice of revising projects repeatedly.
Source: Bd news24
