Dhaka:State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, Mir Shahe Alam, has issued a stern warning regarding disruptions in municipal waste management and other civic services. He emphasized that officials responsible for such disruptions will face immediate suspension.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Shahe Alam made these statements during a national workshop at the Kamrul Islam Siddique Auditorium in LGED Bhaban, Agargaon. The minister also highlighted the necessity for departmental and administrative actions against municipalities failing to adopt modern waste management systems and environmentally friendly initiatives.
The minister pointed out a major challenge in urban management, noting that many municipalities lack designated landfills despite waste management being a primary function. He called for the establishment of modern landfills to facilitate the generation of electricity and fertilizer from waste. Additionally, he criticized past political influences that have led to irregularities in the selection process for municipal master plans, depriving deserving municipalities of essential benefits.
Shahe Alam also discussed ongoing development projects totaling Taka 1,20,000 crore, aimed at improving infrastructure nationwide, including road construction, children's parks, graveyards, safe drinking water, and large-scale tree plantation. He reiterated a zero-tolerance policy for administrative harassment in birth and death registration and civic services, warning against corruption and service suspension in municipalities.
Furthermore, the minister spoke on social protection schemes, including the distribution of 'Family Cards' to female heads of 4 crore households over the next four years, with a Taka 13,000 crore allocation this year. He also proposed language training for youth to enhance employment prospects and mentioned plans to provide honorariums to heads of religious institutions and fund renovations of religious places of worship.
The workshop was attended by senior officials from the Local Government Division, LGED engineers, university faculty members, and municipal administrators and executives.