Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain came under fire from his colleagues yesterday for the sorry state of roads and highways across the country.
Most ministers and state ministers pointed to his ministry's lack of supervision as one of the main reasons behind the bad condition of roads.
They were speaking at a weekly cabinet meeting at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
The communications minister told the cabinet that his ministry does not have adequate funds to maintain and repair roads and highways.
He said the finance ministry did not release Tk 1,303 crore for immediate repair of roads although the fund was approved by the Ecnec and the prime minister this year. Only Tk 107 crore has been disbursed so far, he said.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith said lack of supervision by the communications ministry is one of the major reasons for the sorry state of roads.
He said the ministry did not take the right project at the right time. Moreover, its projects for maintenance and repair of roads have not been implemented in due time.
LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam expressed dissatisfaction over the communications ministry's role in handling a section of bus operators, who had suspended operating buses on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.
Ashraf told the cabinet that the authorities concerned were aware of the poor state of highways but did not take any immediate step to repair those, said one of his colleagues present at the meeting.
The prime minister then intervened and asked the authorities concerned to cut down the budgetary allocations in less important sectors and channel the money to the communication sector for repair and maintenance of roads.
She also directed the communications ministry to ensure that BRTC buses ply the highways on which the private operators suspended operating buses for bad condition of roads.
Hasina directed the communications minister to repair the battered roads and highways immediately to ease public suffering and adopt effective measures to prevent road accidents.
The cabinet adopted a condolence motion over the deaths of noted filmmaker Tareque Masud, media personality Ashfaque Munier Mishuk and three others in Saturday's road crash in Manikganj.
The communications ministry submitted a proposal to the prime minister seeking an immediate allocation of Tk 2,803 crore for repair and maintenance of roads and highways across the country.
The prime minister will hold an emergency meeting tomorrow with the ministers concerned in her office to discuss the matter.
Abul Hossain told The Daily Star that there was no need to criticise him over the sorry state of roads and highways as he was aware of the matter.
"The reality is that we don't have enough money."
He said the government now must give attention to the communication sector that did not get as much priority as the agriculture and power sectors.
Source : The Daily Star
