DNCC: Fund crisis brings dev work to standstill

The government had approved a project involving Tk 40.25 billion for the development of 18 new wards under the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) two and a half years ago.

But the project has come to a standstill now as the authorities provided a fund of only Tk 800 million in the last fiscal year while the disbursement is zero in the current fiscal.

According to the DNCC engineering department, the government allocated Tk 3 billion for the project in the fiscal year 2022-23 and it was supposed to be released in four phases. The city corporation requested to clear the first installment – Tk 750 million – of the allocation, but the finance ministry is yet to give its nod to the request.

Recently, the DNCC received a letter from the high ups with a message that the land acquisition process will remain suspended temporarily as the government has gone for austerity amid the global economic crisis.

DNCC mayor Atiqul Islam told Prothom Alo that he had written a counter-letter to the ministry concerned to keep the development project out of the austerity measures as the 18 wards have been lagging behind in terms of civic services.

During a visit on Sunday, the brick soling road of Bamnartek under the Turag police station was found with numerous potholes and accumulated water, though it is a winter season. Vehicles were moving there defying the accident risks. The same is true for the roads of Dhorangartek and other adjacent areas. The Bamnartek and Dhorangartek areas belong to the DNCC ward No. 53.

Humayun Kabir, a resident of the locality, vented anger over the situation and said no government owns the area. All the roads are damaged here. The situation has been appearing in the media for a long time, but it brings no changes.

The authorities had dissolved Harirampur, Uttarkhan, Dakshinkhan, Badda, Satarkul, and Vatara unions and formed 18 new wards on 28 June, 2016, in an effort to improve the civic services there. Later, the 114 square kilometers area was merged with the DNCC.

The city corporation sources said the development work has started in relatively underdeveloped areas with the previously allocated money.

Urban planners said wide roads, drainage systems, waste management, medical centres, fitness centres, libraries, community centres, educational institutions, museums, theaters, playgrounds, parks, animal slaughterhouses, public toilets and bus terminals are must to ensure civic services. But the new wards have none of these.

Adil Mohammed Khan, professor of urban and regional planning department at Jahangirnagar University, said the government is making big allocations for constructing large infrastructures. But it does not show interest to allocate money for basic civic services and community-based amenities to the citizens.

As a consequence, the citizens are being deprived of proper services despite living in city corporation areas, he said, adding the authorities should release the allocated funds immediately.