A lawmaker of the Jatiya Party yesterday heavily criticised the ruling Awami League for the government’s demand for additional grants of Tk8,066 crore which, he said, could not help the people and would rather make the corrupt richer.
This was the first time the government faced such harsh criticism in parliament from JaPa, whose existence in the House as both the ruling and opposition party has been questioned since the formation of the 10th parliament.
Fazlur Rahman, the JaPa MP elected from a Sunamganj constituency, steered the criticism in parliament yesterday that inspired independent MP Rustom Ali Farazi also to follow suit.
Fazlur also criticised a senior minister for undermining JaPa “in the tone of the BNP-Jamaat.”
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, State Minister for Finance MA Mannan, and Noorjahan Begum took part in the discussion on the supplementary budget for 2013-14 fiscal year. Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury presided over the sitting.
Fifty-five ministries and departments have sought additional allocations of Tk8,066 crore for FY2013-14. The original allocation was more than Tk106,104 crore.
“Allocating this huge supplementary budget without ensuring good governance will make the corrupt people richer and not benefit the people,” Fazlur Rahman told the House.
He said the state was being deprived of thousands of crores of taka every year because of the corrupt administration that implemented the budget.
“The Health Ministry has sought Tk4,840 crore additional funds, but the post of a cardiac specialist in Sunamganj town – where I live – has been vacant for years. This is the state of health services there,” Fazlur said.
He said the Education Ministry had demanded additional Tk1,193 crore, but “question papers of the public exams are available everywhere. This is the state of education.”
The JaPa MP also opposed the additional allocation of over Tk440 crore for the Finance Division, saying 33,000 small investors had been pauperised and the Ibrahim Khaled report had identified them. “The share market manipulators swindling crores of taka of these small investors are still at large. So, such additional demand will only make people bleed.”
He said: “You have to ensure good governance. Unless you establish good governance, such additional grants will make the corrupt richer, not the people.”
Independent lawmaker Rustom Ali Farazi also criticised the government for poor performance.
Opposing the additional grant of over Tk76 crore for public administration, Farazi said all developed countries in the world made their bureaucracy efficient. “But here in Bangladesh, sycophant bureaucrats loiter [around the bosses] and they are promoted from assistant secretary to secretary,” he said.
Farazi said the Banking Division had sought an additional grant of Tk41 crore against the backdrop of scams in the state-owned Sonali Bank and BASIC Bank whereas small farmers were harassed for a loan of Tk5,000 and nobody would ask any question on defaulters of Tk 5,000 crore.
“These cannot happen without someone’s collaboration,” he said, suggesting that the government prepare a list of bank looters.
Pointing finger at Health Minister Mohammad Nasim, Farazi said: “The minister talks bold but cannot force doctors to stay in rural areas.” He alleged that physicians and nurses skipped duties at government hospitals to practise privately.
People were forced to fake private diagnostic centres, he said.
“You take money, no problem; but ensure that people get health services,” Farazi told the health minister.
He praised Law Minister Anisul Huq for his honesty and said he could demand for additional grant of Tk30 crore.
He, however, said: “A sub-registrar earns Tk30,000 per month but has an income of Tk10 lakh. Is the minister aware of it? This sort of corruption must be stopped.”
