Stern action needed against relief theft by people's representatives

At a time when the whole country is struggling to tackle the ongoing crisis emerged due to the coronavirus outbreak, certain people's representatives have taken the advantage of the situation. What could be more reprehensible during this pandemic! These so-called people's representatives have embezzled rice from social safety net programmes, hoarded rice in their homes under the government's food security programme, and included their relatives and affluent people’s names on the list of PM's special assistance programmes.

Local administration and local government should ensure that none of the public representatives who are convicted are directly or indirectly involved in the relief work. Local government ministry must go to the High Court if necessary. We demand stern action against these corrupt 'people’s representatives'.

The government failed to bring all the embezzlers to justice. Still, legal action against 100 people's representatives brought some relief to the minds of the people hoping that would bring some changes among others.

But the report published in Prothom Alo on Monday under the headline ‘Relief embezzlement of people's representatives: Many dismissed still operating' has raised new concerns. The ministry of local government has suspended 100 people's representatives, but these persons are trying to return to their posts. Among the suspended representatives, there are 30 UP chairmen, 64 UP members, four municipal councilors, one upazila councilor and one district council member. However, reports of such corruption and relief embezzlement have been published in various media outlets.

A local government ministry official said 90 of the dismissed people's representatives were involved with ruling Awami League. After the administrative action, the party should have taken immediate organisational action against them. In the party constitution, if an incumbent is involved in immoral activities, he cannot stay in the party. But so far it is not known whether the Awami League or any other party has taken organisational measures against any of the representatives.

An Awami League policymaker said, "Those involved in irregularities will be expelled from the party and allied organisations." When will they be expelled? In the administrative investigation, these people's representatives have been found guilty and disciplinary action has been taken against them. The party is the mainstay of these corrupt so-called people's representatives. They have been elected after the nomination of the party. When political parties turn a blind eye to those convicted of corruption, it is not difficult to understand their views towards corruption.

The people's representatives who were suspended are lobbying in various ways to return to their posts and take part in the relief work. It has been reported that some people are carrying out their duties with a stay order from the high court. Again, there is evidence that many people are directly or indirectly participating in the relief work defying the law. These corrupt people are influential locally. Once they return to office through loopholes in the law, the lawsuits filed against them will be affected, too.

Local administration and local government should ensure that none of the public representatives who have already been convicted are directly or indirectly involved in the relief work. Local government ministry must go to the High Court if necessary. We demand stern action against the corrupt 'people’s representatives'.