Parliamentary Standing Committee on Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Ministry has recommended accepting a security deposit as a three-year warranty from contractors to ensure the quality and durability of rural road construction.
The recommendation was made at the committee’s first meeting held at Parliament building on Sunday, with Committee Chairman AKM Salim Reza Habib presiding.
During the meeting, emphasis was placed on strengthening supervision through the proper discharge of duties by the officials concerned to guarantee transparency and accountability in construction work.
In addition, the committee recommended undertaking projects and effective measures to identify arsenic-contaminated areas across the country and ensure safe drinking water.
To destroy Aedes mosquitoes and prevent dengue, the committee recommended supervising cleanliness drives through upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) in their respective areas and taking necessary steps to boost public awareness.
The meeting also highlighted the importance of officials performing their duties with honesty, dedication, nepotism-free conduct, and accountability, while recommending online attendance at the upazila level.
Moreover, the committee recommended taking appropriate measures to investigate irregularities and corruption in unnecessary projects undertaken with domestic and foreign financing during the tenure of the previous Awami League government.
At the beginning of the meeting, an introductory session for committee members took place, after which they were introduced to the heads of offices and agencies under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives.
A presentation detailing the activities of the ministry and its subordinate offices and agencies was delivered, and the committee was informed about various initiatives taken by the ministry during the government’s past 180 days.
Committee members including Local Government, Rural Development (LGRD) and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Moyeen Khan, State Minister Mir Shahe Alam, Mohammad Akteruzzaman, Alhaj Josim Uddin Ahmed, Sheikh Farid Ahmed, Selina Sultana, ATM Azharul Islam, and Md Rafiqul Islam Khan attended the meeting.
Both secretaries of the ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, additional secretaries, joint secretaries, heads of various departments and agencies, and relevant officials of Parliament Secretariat were also present.
