Tk 260b earmarked for MPs eyeing next elections

The government is readying six projects at more than Tk 260 billion giving members of parliament (MPs) responsibility to determine development priorities in their constituencies ahead of the next general elections in the yearend.

For three projects, already approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), an amount of over Tk 160 billion will be spent for building schools, colleges, madrasas, mosques, and temples in each constituency.

Another chunk of Tk 100 billion under three proposed projects will be awarded to the MPs for construction and development of schools, colleges, madrasas, public toilets, markets and playgrounds.

Terming such allocations in favour of the MPs as nothing but wastage of taxpayers' money, local government expert Tofail Ahmed said they are now busy implementing development projects, instead of focussing on their core constitutional and legal duties.

The main duties of MPs are primarily to make laws and annual national budget.

Tofail Ahmed told Prothom Alo that all these projects - in favour of the MPs almost of all of whom belong to the ruling parties - “are aimed at pleasing the voters”.

The MPs will take all decisions where and how infrastructures for educational and religious institutions, playgrounds, and public toilets will be made. The concerned engineering departments of the government will implement such projects as per demand from the MPs.

When asked, Dewan Mohammad Hanzala, chief engineer of the Education Engineering Department, said the MPs themselves are making decisions on extension of academic buildings and sites of new schools.

Officials concerned said construction work in these projects will not be completed in a year but the buildings will be visible shortly.

This is expected to attract the voters for the 11th general elections.

Each MP has already been receiving Tk 30 million to Tk 50 million from the national budget for construction and repairing of roads. They are being provided with special privileges for building school, madrasas, mosques, and play grounds in their respective constituencies in the election year.

"Many of the present MPs were elected without ballot in 2014, so they are trying to create their vote banks in their constituencies by implementing these projects," Tofail Ahmed pointed out.

The expert added that local government institutions such as zila parishad, upazila parishad, and union council will be further ineffective for engaging the MPs in local development works.

Currently, there are 327 government secondary schools and 19,357 private secondary schools, and a total of 91,60,365 students are enrolled with them.

Shamsul Alam, a member of General Economics Division (GED) of the Planning Commission, argued the MPs have to face the voters and so they want to make schools, mosques and temples in their constituencies.

"The political economy cannot be denied in a democratic system," he told Prothom Alo.

* This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Imam Hossain.