Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday sought support of the secretaries and the administrative mechanism for the continuation of democratic system in the country.
“Government officials have a very important role in continuing development and democracy, maintaining the progress of democratic values and flourishing culture,” the Prime Minister said during a meeting with the secretaries at the Cabinet Division.
Sheikh Hasina told the secretaries that although parliament would be there in place, there will be no session of it from October 27 to January 24, 2014 when the next general election will be held.
After the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan briefed reporters about the outcome of the meeting.
The constitutional term of the present government will expire on January 24, 2014 and the next general election would have to be held within its previous 90 days, the Cabinet Secretary quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
She said the cabinet will also remain in place at that time, but it would not take any important policy decision.
Replying to a question, the Cabinet Secretary said there was no specific directive from the Prime Minister to the secretaries regarding the next general election.
He said the secretaries also expressed their positive notion towards maintaining the parliamentary system of democracy.
Fifty-eight secretaries attended the half an hour-long meeting where 23 secretaries took part in the discussion. The Cabinet Secretary delivered the welcome address. PM’s Adviser on Public Administration HT Imam was also present.
This was the 6th and probably the last Secretaries Committee meeting with the Prime Minister as the tenure of the present government is nearing completion.
Mentioning that there has been visible development in all sectors over the last four years and eight months of the present government, the Prime Minister said the continuity of these development activities need to be maintained and government officials, especially the secretaries, have a very important role to play in this regard.
Hasina said the government officials also have an important role in maintaining macro-economic stability, combating militancy, terrorism, establishing good governance and ensuring public safety.
The Prime Minister also shared her some observations with the secretaries at the meeting that include bringing dynamism into project formulation and approval process as well as making it more easier, setting priorities in each field, strengthening monitoring of the development projects and also gearing up the projects that are nearing completion.
Hasina told the secretaries that if voted to power again, her government would ensure decentralisation of power by further strengthening the local government, and asked them to mentally prepare for that.
About the accommodation problem of government officials, she said her government has already taken many steps in this regard and would continue to do so in this regard.
“The most important thing is to ensure the country’s overall development and poverty alleviation, and our government has proved that if there’s sincerity and hard work, it is possible to make the impossible possible,” Musharraf Hossain quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
The Prime Minister also noted that during the tenure of the present government, the implementation rate of the cabinet’s decisions fetched 93 percent compared to 80 percent during the same period of the BNP-Jamaat alliance government while the ADP size and its implementation also witnessed an upward trend.
During the meeting, the secretaries requested the Prime Minister to take prompt steps regarding constitution of Permanent Pay Commission for the public servants considering the incentive structure of the administration in such a way where meritorious candidates are attracted to come in government service. They also suggested the Prime Minister to think of post-retirement period while determining the pay structure.
Besides, the issues for conducting the social safety net programmes on an more integrated approach, effectively combating terrorism and subversive activities, effectively implementing government policies, intensively monitoring the law and order situation, ensuring the participation of women more in policy level, promotion of public servants, giving priority more on projects nearing completion also came up for discussions.
Source: UNBConnect