Govt creating awareness against plundering of public property: PM

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DHAKA, July 26, 2018 (BSS) – Asking the public servants to remain careful so that every penny of the development projects is spent properly, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said that her government has made arrangements to create awareness against plundering of public property.

“We’ve taken necessary arrangements to create awareness against looting of public property through graft and we’ve formulated the Public Interest-related Information Disclosure (protection) Rules, 2017 for curbing corruption and establishing integrity,” she said.

The prime minister was addressing the Bangladesh Administrative Services Association (BASA) Annual Conference-2018 as the chief guest at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here this evening.

Sheikh Hasina said the government has to make arrangements for money after much struggle for implementing development projects.

The government, she said, has placed a huge budget of Tk 4 lakh, 64 thousand and 573 crore, while local and foreign investment is coming for the development of the country.

“So creating awareness is needed so that every penny of a project is spent properly and development is made in that way … transparency and accountability are a must for every work,” she said.

Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam and BASA President and Information Secretary Abdul Malek also spoke at the function, while BASA Secretary General and Acting Secretary of the Water Resources Ministry Kabir Bin Anwar gave the welcome address.

At the function, a documentary on the country’s development was screened.

Describing terrorism and militancy as a global problem, the prime minister said the government has been able to contain the twin demons with iron hands. “Now our fight against the narcotics is underway,” she said.

In this connection, Sheikh Hasina directed the government employees to create mass awareness against these social vices. “You’ll have to face these social vices taking the people of all classes with you,” she said.

Besides, she said, a scope for practising games and ports and culture will have to be created for the youths, juveniles and children so that they do not step into wrong paths.

The prime minister said the public servants will have to be careful in undertaking development projects. “You’ll have to take such schemes which are necessary and the people will get benefit from them,” she added.

Reminding again the government employees that they are servants of the people, Sheikh Hasina said they will have to work with self-confidence and take the country forward with the liberation war spirit.

She also asked them to project true history of the war of independence before the next generations. “The history of liberation war distorted by the military dictators after the assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975,” she said, adding that distorted history creates distorted character.

The premier advised the public servants to create mass awareness about traffic rules, cleanliness, sanitation, environment and proper waste management.

Pointing out that the five-year tenure of her present government will complete this year, she requested them to keep up the trend of the country’s development.

“The next election will be held in December and the trend of uplift is visible before the people … So, it’smy demand to you that the trend of development continues,” she said.

 

Sheikh Hasina said the government has framed the Bangladesh Perspective Plan and two five-year plans to speed up the socioeconomic development by alleviating poverty and removing disparity. “Currently, we’re working to frame a 20-year perspective plan,” she said, seeking cooperation of all to this end.

The prime minister said the government has a goal to turn Bangladesh into a middle income country by 2021. “We’ve already been upgraded to a lower middle income country, but we’re not satisfied with it in any way,” she said

She added: “The word lower doesn’t suit us as we’re a victorious nation and we’ve liberated the country through liberation war … we must always hold the top.”

Sheikh Hasina said her government assuming office again in 2009 undertook planned uplift programmes and completed many development works in the last nine and a half years.

She said the unprecedented development that Bangladesh witnessed in the socioeconomic sector has been possible due to maintaining continuity of the government.

As a strategy of overall initiatives, she said, the government enacted the National Integrity Strategy to establish good governance and it is being implemented and monitored in 57 organisations.

The premier said her government after taking office is regularly giving promotion to the government employees by evaluating their merit, qualifications, efficiency and experience.

“The retirement age of the public employees of all classes has been increased to 59 from 57 while the retirement age of freedom fighters employees has been raised to 60,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the salary and allowances of the government employees has been enhanced by up to 123 percent and the Public Administration Medals have been introduced for creative and innovative works of the employees of the republic.

To earn professional efficiency, she said, various facilities including training at home and abroad for the government employees have been increased.

Sheikh Hasina said the ultimate goal of the government is to build a happy, prosperous and just and knowledge-based Digital Bangladesh, free from hunger, poverty, illiteracy, militancy and communalism.

“With efforts of all of you, Bangladesh will emerge as a middle income country by 2021 and a developed and prosperous one by 2041 Insha Allah,” she said.

Later, the prime minister witnessed a cultural function performed by renowned artistes of the country.