Divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners have proposed introducing a ration system for all levels of field administration employees. They proposed essential commodities such as rice, pulses, edible oil and sugar are provided as ration.
The divisional commissioners and DCs put forward 21 such proposals in the DC Conference that began yesterday, Sunday, in the discussion related to the public administration ministry. A working session on public administration is supposed to be held on Tuesday.
Chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus inaugurated the three-day long DC Conference yesterday. On the first day of the DC Conference, working sessions related to the Secondary and Higher Education Department, Technical and Madrasa Education Implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation Department (IMED), Statistics and Information Management Department were held in the afternoon. Working sessions related to various ministries and departments will also be held today and tomorrow. This time, 30 of the total 34 sessions are working sessions. Out of about 1,050 proposals put forward by the DCs and divisional commissioners, 354 have been scheduled for discussion.
The divisional commissioner of Sylhet and the deputy commissioners of Gopalganj and Joypurhat have proposed to introduce ration facilities for all field-level officers and employees of the administration. The rationale for this proposal is that the officers and employees of the administration work tirelessly day and night to implement the government's decisions in any situation, including during disasters, like any other force. While officers and employees of civil organisations like the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Narcotics Control Department receive ration facilities, field administration officers and employees do not receive any such facility.
Providing ration facilities will increase the enthusiasm of the administration officers and employees and reduce economic inequality. Therefore, initiatives should be taken to introduce ration facilities for all levels of field administration officers and employees. It has been said that daily necessities including rice, pulses, oil, flour, sugar will be provided as ration.
Joypurhat DC also proposed risk allowance as well as ration for the officers and employees of DC office while Satkhira DC suggested increasing allowances for additional responsibilities.
The DCs of the three hill districts have proposed to increase the monthly hill allowance of government officials and employees working in the hill districts at a reasonable rate.
Currently, the public administration carries out the transfer and posting of DCs and additional district commissioners. And the ministry entrusts the posting of Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) to the office of the Divisional Commissioner. Later, the Divisional Commissioners assign the UNOs to various upazilas. Now, the DC of Bandarban has proposed to entrust the transfer and posting of ADCs to the Divisional Commissioner. Manikganj DC has made a proposal to provide the power of executive magistrate to the deputy director of the local government during his posting.
The Chattogram Divisional Commissioner proposed merging three training courses of BCS (administration) cadre officials—foundation course, survey settlement court and law-administration course—to a single one-year course. He proposed the officers should be conferred a master’s degree upon completion of this course.
More proposals
Mymensingh DC proposed a tiffin allowance of employees between 11th and 20th grades increase to Tk 2000 from current Tk 200. He also put forward proposals that ‘education assistance allowance’ for children of government officials increased to Tk 2000 and construction of multi-storied residential buildings for government officials at district and upazila levels.
Mymensingh’s DC proposed amendment of home loan guidelines and increase of loan ceiling for government officials. Currently a government official gets a loan ranging from Tk 3 million to Tk 7.5 million for building a house or buying a flat. If the officers and employees who take the loan have less service years they have to repay the loan installments at a higher rate. As a result, they suffer from additional pressure of loan repayment. In addition, the maximum amount given is Tk 7.5 million taka, which is insufficient for building quality houses or buying flats. In addition, he has proposed to increase the medical allowance of government employees to Tk 5000.
The Divisional Commissioner of Sylhet has proposed to establish a government employee hospital in Sylhet division.
The DCs have proposed to create a post of cook in the residence of Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs). The argument in this regard is that UNOs have to be at work 24 hours a day.
One DC proposed uniform recruitment guidelines for non-cadre officials of public administration and field administration. Another DC proposed to conduct recruitment tests for employees of grades 13 to 20 in all government departments under the Divisional Selection Board to resolve the manpower crisis. The DC of Jhenaidah has proposed creation of multiple posts of grade 9 in the district and upazila administration.
The DC of Madaripur proposed enlisting Circuit House and the DC office as KPIs and taking round-the-clock security measures.