Today, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman emphasized the need of creating a clean, green city and shielding residents from mosquito infestation.
“The Prime Minister emphasised three issues- a clean Dhaka, a green Dhaka and protecting city dwellers from mosquito infestation,” DSCC administrator Md Abdus Salam told reporters after a meeting with the premier at his secretariat office here.
Md. Safiqul Islam Khan, the administrator of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), and Md. Shawkat Hossain Sarkar, the administrator of Gazipur City Corporation (GCC), attended the meeting.
Regarding the meeting, Abdus Salam stated that a financial crisis has resulted from income collection over the last few months falling short of expectations and being lower than in prior years.
“We informed the Prime Minister about the matter,” he said.
“We have sought a block allocation from him to run the city corporation. We also requested him to instruct the Local Government Ministry to extend cooperation in our various projects and activities,” he said.
Salam said that indiscriminate work orders issued by the previous administration could lead to the collapse of the city corporation if implemented without review.
“If we proceed based on all the work orders they have given, the city corporation will collapse. That cannot be done in any way,” he said.
The DSCC administrator said with the monsoon approaching and the potential rise in dengue cases, mosquito control must be ensured at any cost.
He also stressed that Dhaka must be cleaned, noting that the city had turned into a “factory of waste” and must be transformed.
Salam said after assuming responsibility, the administrators of Dhaka South, Dhaka North and Gazipur have been working together to quickly establish an improved waste management system.
Initiatives including canal excavation and cleanliness drives have already begun to combat mosquito breeding, he said.
“I have launched a one-month crash programme in Dhaka South to improve cleanliness,” he said.
Talking to journalists, Dhaka North City Corporation administrator Md. Safiqul Islam Khan also highlighted the corporation’s financial distress.
“The corporation is now in a fragile condition. There is no fund, yet tenders and work orders worth Tk 1,470 crore have been issued. The election was held on 12 February. The former administrator did his last day at office on February 10 and signed 34 files involving payments.
Actually, there isn’t any money. Just Tk 25 crore is available. According to the revenue branch, DNCC spends Tk 13 crore on salaries each month. There will only be Tk 12 crore left. You can examine how we plan to conduct development operations,” he stated.
According to the administrator, the prime minister promised them assistance. “We’re not let down. We’ll proceed and offer the required public services. We’ll get ready to fulfill our obligation and serve the public interest,” he continued.
