News report in a national daily on Saturday said Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkhya (RAJUK) sent 14 lawmakers including a minister on 22 foreign trips who went on more than one trips in recent past to gather knowledge on urban planning. RAJUK spent over Tk 2.0 crore and it is yet unknown what contributions, if any they made to bring about improvement to city planning.
RAJUK has spent the public money but in our view these were mainly ‘pleasure trips’ arranged by the Capital Development Authority for MPs to buy their support apparently to cover up failures, pervasive corruptions in housing projects and misuse of budgetary fund. These are almost open secrets. The MPs mainly related to Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works could do better service to the nation by asking for transparency and accountability of RAJUK projects instead of becoming its guests on ‘study tour’ abroad.
Dhaka is now the second least livable city globally which needs fresh look to its expansion plans and civic amenities. It requires participation of experts and other stakeholders in city development and MPs having no knowledge and training about modern city planning have nothing to do with it. People must get involved in such study tours and planning who can make critical contributions to bring changes in existing master plan to address issues like widening city roads, sanitation, water logging and utility supplies without road digging or least infrastructure dislocation. But it appears that RAJUK is otherwise busy.
We know Dhaka city has already a master plan but professional bodies and environmental groups such as Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), Institute of Architects, Bangladesh and Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon were so far ignored and instead sycophants and professionals close to the government made the plan, which proved unworthy so far for execution. It is clear that RAJUK can build a well-planned city unless the two City Corporations, WASA, Water Development Board and such other organizations can be involved with the process. The report quoted an MP who went on several study tours as saying they made recommendations but he was not aware whether these were implemented. But the fact is that they are not right persons to do it.
The former works minister enjoyed 60-day trips to India, USA, UK, Germany and nine other countries over three years. Some others enjoyed 28-day study tours using RAJUK fund and Purbachal Town Project without however visible benefits of such expenditure to strengthening the urban planning.
We know that Purbachal Town Project and many such projects are in shamble where contractors are prolonging work to mint undue money. We don’t know how RAJUK will justify the cost of such foreign tours adding to the cost of plots and flats.
RAJUK has spent the public money but in our view these were mainly ‘pleasure trips’ arranged by the Capital Development Authority for MPs to buy their support apparently to cover up failures, pervasive corruptions in housing projects and misuse of budgetary fund. These are almost open secrets. The MPs mainly related to Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works could do better service to the nation by asking for transparency and accountability of RAJUK projects instead of becoming its guests on ‘study tour’ abroad.
Dhaka is now the second least livable city globally which needs fresh look to its expansion plans and civic amenities. It requires participation of experts and other stakeholders in city development and MPs having no knowledge and training about modern city planning have nothing to do with it. People must get involved in such study tours and planning who can make critical contributions to bring changes in existing master plan to address issues like widening city roads, sanitation, water logging and utility supplies without road digging or least infrastructure dislocation. But it appears that RAJUK is otherwise busy.
We know Dhaka city has already a master plan but professional bodies and environmental groups such as Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), Institute of Architects, Bangladesh and Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon were so far ignored and instead sycophants and professionals close to the government made the plan, which proved unworthy so far for execution. It is clear that RAJUK can build a well-planned city unless the two City Corporations, WASA, Water Development Board and such other organizations can be involved with the process. The report quoted an MP who went on several study tours as saying they made recommendations but he was not aware whether these were implemented. But the fact is that they are not right persons to do it.
The former works minister enjoyed 60-day trips to India, USA, UK, Germany and nine other countries over three years. Some others enjoyed 28-day study tours using RAJUK fund and Purbachal Town Project without however visible benefits of such expenditure to strengthening the urban planning.
We know that Purbachal Town Project and many such projects are in shamble where contractors are prolonging work to mint undue money. We don’t know how RAJUK will justify the cost of such foreign tours adding to the cost of plots and flats.
