Accusations of embezzling 215 tonnes of wheat have surfaced against a Union Parishad chairman at Kotalipara upazila in Gopalganj.
The wheat was allocated for developing rural infrastructure including temples and mosques, said former Union Parishad member Lokman Hazra.
They urged Amtali Union Parishad Chairman Mohammad Hannan Sheikh for taking up all the projects for which the wheat had been allocated. They threatened legal action against the chairman if he failed to take up the projects very soon.
Former Union Parishad member Lokman Hazra said the chairman had done nothing but he had showed through his sidekicks that the projects had been implemented well.
For instance, he said, wheat had been allocated for building the approach road of the bridge on the west of Chhoto Dakkhinpara Madrasa but no work was done. Likewise, wheat had been allotted for building the road from Purbo Unoshia's Boro Rasta to Sikder Bari, but no work was ever done for it.
President of Chhoto Dakkhinpara Paikbari Kali Mandir Project Binoy Roy said seven tons of wheat had been allotted for his project, but the chairman sold that out and gave him only Tk 40,000.
Quoting the chairman, he said, “Keep happy with what you have been given because I had to spend a lot when bringing this allocation.”
President Sridam Ghosh, of the project for building the road from Dakkhin Purbo Unoshia to the house of one Mujibor Sheikh and the road from Unoshia College to the house of one Gouranga Ghosh, said he had not got any allocation on his project.
He added that the chairman had said he would take up the project himself.
President Swapna Akter, a reserved female member, of the project for building the approach road of the bridge and the road from Purbo Unoshia's Boro Rasta to Sikder Bari, said she had got little allocation for the project and so had stayed away from starting this.
Amtali Union Parishad Chairman Hannan however denied the allegation and said, “I have brought in the projects on the recommendation of the prime minister's office. I have shared the allocations among all project presidents. If they do not implement the projects, I have nothing to do about it.”
Upazila Project Implementation Officer Md Miran Hossain Mia said: “I will not accept any voucher for any project unless it is properly implemented. In need, I will talk to the higher authorities for legal action against those who embezzled the allocation.”