Some MPs want cash, not rice, wheat in Test Relief, Food for Work schemes

Some MPs have demanded that the government allot cash instead of rice or wheat in local government development projects.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 3 Feb 2016, 05:14 PM
Updated : 3 Feb 2016, 05:14 PM

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya assured them of steps over their demand in Parliament on Wednesday.

The MPs who raised the demand include ruling party Whip Atiur Rahman Atik.

Several development projects of the local government units are implemented through Test Relief (TR) and Food for Work (Kajer Binimoye Khadyo - KaBiKha) programmes that pay the workers with rice and wheat.

Maya said he had meetings with Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury and Food Minister Qamrul Islam to raise the demand for cash in these programmes.

"We convinced the finance minister," he claimed.

"We have sent a proposal to the prime minister. I hope she will consider it and order the implementation," he added.

People's representatives in the local government units like chairmen of Upazila and Union councils often allege MPs interfere with their activities in these programmes, despite having separate allocation for development of their constituencies.

Analysts say such interference is an obstacle to strengthening the local government system.

MPs argue that they need to answer to the people about the development programmes in their constituencies.

Maya supported the MPs telling Parliament on Wednesday he also is in a similar situation.

"We don't get the right price by selling rice or wheat of TR, KaBiKha programmes. The price is between Tk 14,000 and 20,000 (per tonne). But we have to submit a voucher of Tk 36,000," he said.

He argued the amount of work in these programmes will double if the workers are paid in cash.