Why luxury vehicles for DCs, UNOs ahead of the national polls?

Media reports on Thursday said that the government is going to purchase 261 Sports Utility Vehicles for the Deputy Commissioners and Upazila Nirbahi Officers just ahead of the national election when the country’s foreign exchange reserves are dwindling at an alarming rate.

The government has already approved the Tk 381 crore for the plan under Direct Procurement Method for conducting the upcoming polls.

As part of an austerity measure, earlier the finance ministry issued a circular last July, saying that all types of vehicle purchase would remain suspended at government offices under the operation and development allocations in fiscal year 2023-24.

Each of these vehicles would cost approximately Tk 1,45,84,500, taking the total spending to Tk 381 crore, whereas there is an acute dollar crunch in the country.

Now, the ministry has stepped back from its decision. This deviation raises questions among the people.

When imports of medical equipment and many essential goods have been reduced due to the dollar crunch, and the prices of power, water, and gas are being raised in phases to cut subsidies, how can the decision to purchase new vehicles at a whopping amount of foreign currency be justified? Critics believe that the government provided the high-end vehicles to DCs and UNOs as gifts ahead of the parliamentary polls.

It is to be noted that the DCs and UNOs will play vital executive roles during elections. Usually, DCs function as returning officers while the UNOs assist them as assistant returning officers.

The DCs of 61 districts out of 64 districts will receive new vehicles, while another 200 vehicles are being purchased for the UNOs. Notably, the proposed vehicles feature 2700 cc engine capacities, a privilege typically reserved for Grade-I and II officials, equivalent to secretary and additional secretary ranks.

Sadly, the government loudly claims that Bangladesh is making strides on the highway of development, but a phase of rain halts the lives of 1.5 million people in Dhaka city alone as there is no effective drainage system.

On one hand, people are in huge pressure as the government has hiked prices of fertiliser, power, and water in phases. On the other, it is importing luxurious vehicles at the hard-earned money of the people for government officers, which appears not only contradictory but also suicidal. It must be stopped.