Dhaka:The parliamentary standing committee on the Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Ministry has recommended initiatives to provide safe drinking water in arsenic-affected areas and to obtain three-year warranty deposits from contractors to enhance the quality and longevity of rural roads.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the recommendations were made at the committee's first meeting held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban under the chairmanship of A.K.M. Selim Reza Habib, MP. The committee emphasized the need for transparency, accountability, and quality in the ministry's development activities and those of its subordinate departments.
The committee further advised strengthening supervision of road construction and increasing efforts to control Aedes mosquitoes to prevent dengue. They called for the introduction of online attendance systems at the upazila level and investigations into alleged irregularities and corruption in unnecessary projects from the previous government.
In compliance with the prime minister's directives, the committee proposed collecting security deposits from contractors as a three-year warranty on rural road construction to ensure the quality and durability of their work. They also highlighted the need for public awareness and rigorous cleanliness drives to control dengue through upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs).
The committee underscored the importance of honesty, dedication, and accountability in the discharge of official duties, and recommended steps to investigate claims of corruption in projects funded by domestic and international sources during the previous administration.
During the meeting, the chairman expressed deep respect for Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, former BNP chairperson and Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, and the martyrs of the Liberation War, as well as those affected by the July 2024 mass uprising.
A presentation on the ministry's activities was provided, and the committee was briefed on initiatives undertaken during the government's initial 180 days. The meeting was attended by committee members, LGRD Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, State Minister Mir Shahe Alam, and other officials from the ministry and the Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat.