Muhammad Ghiyas Uddin, Pekua: Unlimited irregularities and corruption were found in the construction of the infrastructure of the water supply project with a budget of 21 crores financed by the World Bank to solve the crisis of drinking water in the three coastal unions of Pekua upazila of Cox’s Bazar district. The ongoing work of three safe water supply projects being implemented by the Directorate of Public Health and Engineering under the project ‘Multi-sector to deal with the Rohingya crisis on an emergency basis’ is being done through various irregularities including the use of very low quality materials. Due to the irregularities and corruption of those involved in the work of the project, even in the last six months, 30 percent of the work of this project could not be completed by the commissioned contractor.
It is known that after visiting the area and talking to the concerned residents, three projects financed by the World Bank have been decided for water supply project with a budget of 21 million taka in Muhuri Para village of Magnama Union of Pekua Upazila, next to the mosque, next to the house of Nazrul Islam Sikdar Babul, chairman of Rajakhali Union, and in Pandit Para village of Toitong Union. The infrastructure construction work started in March this year. From the beginning of the work, the sub-assistant engineer working at the Pekua Upazila Public Health Office, the corrupt Joy Prakash Chakma and some of the office employees and the consultant working in Pekua under the World Bank Md. Farid used very low quality iron, stone, cement, pump house, beige for the demolition work of the project. The higher authorities of the Directorate of Public Health Engineering are silent even though the construction of accessories including welding continues. Beneficiaries of the concerned unions have expressed disappointment over the future of those three philanthropic projects of the World Bank’s 21 crore budget as the construction work is ongoing.
It is known that a contractor named M/s Jilani Traders of Dhaka got the work of three projects financed by the World Bank. The project started in March this year. After the completion of these projects, clean water will be provided to more than 1,000 beneficiaries around each project area through pipe lines. For this, there will be a maintenance committee in each project area. The pump house will be handed over to the committee of the concerned project area after the completion of the World Bank funded work. However, in the three unions of Pekua, the commissioned contractor continues to work using low-quality construction materials in the construction of the project. Magnama Union Parishad has donated 6 cents of land for the implementation of the project next to the mosque of Magnama Muhuri Para village. And in Rajakhali Union and Toitong Union, the respective UP chairmen have donated a total of 18 centuries of land for three projects of 6 centuries each.
Ala Uddin, a resident of Muhuri Para village of Magnama Union, complained, “The work of the project which started 4/5 months ago is not going well. Rod, less cement has been given. No supervision of the higher authorities in the project work. The contractor’s people are working through irregularities and corruption.
When contacted with Omar Farooq, an engineer assigned to the project area under the contracting company M/s Jilani Traders, he said that the work is being done according to the schedule of the World Bank and Directorate of Public Health Engineering. He claimed that there is no irregularity in the work.
It has been seen on the ground that the work of the pump house 2nd floor of the water supply project built next to the mosque in Muhuri Para village of Magnama Union of Pekua Upazila is in progress. Similarly, the work of the 2nd floor of the pump house is going on near the house of Nazrul Islam Sikder Babul, Chairman of Rajakhali Union and Pandit Para village of Toitong Union. In the work of the five-storey pump house, the contractor’s people are currently carrying out the work up to the 2nd floor as per their wish. Corrupt Deputy Assistant Engineer Joy Prakash Chakma working in Pekua Upazila Public Health Office did not visit the site at any time for the said three projects. Apart from this, there is a mountain of allegations against Md. Farid, who is in charge of consultancy in the ongoing work of three World Bank projects under construction in Pekua. Instead of visiting the project area regularly, Pekua wandered around the upazila headquarters all day. There is also a serious allegation against him that he colluded with the contractor’s people and allowed substandard works to be implemented in the project.
When Md Farid was contacted to know about the complaint, he said that he did not have any kind of trouble with the contractor’s people. He is carrying out the duties assigned to him by regular site visits.
Upazila Water Supply and Sanitation Committee (Watson) Member Secretary and Upazila Public Health Engineer Jai Prakash Chakma, who is in charge of Upazila Public Health Engineer, was contacted several times for a statement on the above matter, but he refused to speak on the matter.
