BSS, Rajshahi :
Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) is pledged bound to bring transparency and accountability in its budget formulation and implementation for the sake of reflecting hopes and aspirations of the city dwellers.
City Mayor Mosaddeque Hossain Bulbul made this observation while facing the public on the closing day of five consecutive day open public dialogue held at Rajshahi Medical College Auditorium in the city Thursday evening.
Committee of Concerned Citizens (CCC), a partner organisation of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), organised the programme ahead of announcing the next annual budget for 2014-15 fiscal of the city corporation on May 31.
“As we were voted to power by the people, so we are committed to work for betterment of them in spite of the existing limited resources,” Mayor Bulbul asserted responding to a volley of questions.
Mayor Bulbul said the city corporation is very much interested to hear the public views and opinions before formulating the budget so that their needs are reflected properly.
He viewed such face the public events will be an effective tool of gathering the citizens’ views. “We are pledged bound to enhance the civic services and ensure transparency and accountability in all the provided services”.
Mayor Bulbul said standard of all the uplift works of the city corporation is being monitored and controlled strictly and asserted that the officials and others concerned who will be found guilty of any corruption and irregularity will not go unpunished.
Various programmes have been planned to overcome the unemployment problems for the greater interest of freeing the city from drug addiction and other social crimes, he said.
He said the development action plan will be executed properly. “We are determined to establish a Tk 100 crore fund for the city corporation within the current tenure,” he added.
Currently, the corporation has been implementing five major projects involving Taka 427.31 crore for bringing a qualitative change particularly in the field of infrastructural and environmental elevation in the metropolis.
The projects are infrastructural development, City Bhaban construction, midtown road widening, east-west connecting road and drainage.
The RCC has also planned two other projects at an estimated cost of Taka 149.39 crore which are awaiting government’s approval. “We are working relentlessly for building the metropolis as eco- friendly and financially sound,” Bulbul added.
With CCC member Prof Abdus Salam in the chair, President of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Abu Bakker Ali, General Secretary of Rajshahi Advocate Bar Association Jamshed Ali, RCC Chief Executive Officer Ajahar Ali, Secretary AKM Masuduzzaman, Chief Revenue Officer Syeda Zebin Nissa Sultana and some councilors also spoke.
