Selim Reza, Sirajganj :
As the government has adopted an austerity policy to reduce unnecessary expenditure, the foreign tour by officials of Pashchimanchal Gas Company Limited (PGCL) in Sirajganj after the project deadline has raised questions among concerned citizens.
According to sources, various equipment has already been purchased from China for the gas connection line to BSCIC Industrial Park in Sirajganj, and the project implementation deadline was June 30.
The concerned contractor started the construction work in December last year using that equipment.
Though the project deadline has passed, officials of PGCL are preparing to go to China for ‘floor inspection’ to purchase equipment.
It should be noted that visits before purchasing equipment for a project are usually called ‘floor inspections.’
However, questions have arisen about such trips abroad at government expense after the equipment has already been brought and used in the project work.
This foreign tour was approved by a Government Order (GO) on May 15, signed by Khadija Tahera Babi, Deputy Secretary (Budget Wing), Department of Energy and Mineral Resources. According to the GO, they can spend a total of 12 days on this visit, including the travel period from May 30 to June 10 or thereabouts. However, the authorized officials had not yet departed on the tour as of yesterday.
According to PGCL sources, preparations are underway for the tour in the first week of July. The ‘BSCIC Industrial Park-Sirajganj’ has been established in the Syedabad area, on the outskirts of Sirajganj town, at a cost of about Tk 719.21 crore.
Of this, Tk 21 crore is being spent on the construction of a pipeline for gas connections.
Meanwhile, the project deadline ended on June 30 with the declaration of work completion on paper. Don Construction Limited has received the work order for setting up the pipelines, and construction work has been underway since December last year.
Reliable sources said that several pieces of equipment, including line pipes, fittings, coating materials, and ancillaries for the work, have been imported from China.
During a spot visit, this correspondent found that workers were installing a gas transmission line under the four-lane road and railway line in the Syedabad area of Sirajganj Sadar upazila.
After the installation is completed, gas will be dispatched to BSCIC Industrial Park through the line
It is learned that one of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and nine other officials of PGCL have been permitted for the ‘floor inspection’ to purchase equipment for that project work.
They are Kabir Uddin, System Analyst of the Energy and Mineral Resources Department of the Ministry of Electricity, Energy, and Mineral Resources; Saidul Islam, General Manager of PGCL; Shailja Nanda Basak and Shahinur Alam; Deputy General Manager Rafiqul Islam and HM Zulfikar; Manager Aktaruzzaman Khan and Oli Uddin; Assistant Manager Saikat Mahmud; and Assistant Engineer KisholoyMitra.
According to the travel conditions in the government order, these officials will be considered on duty during the trip. Allowances due should be taken in their local currency. No part of it can be withdrawn in foreign currency. They cannot stay abroad beyond the permitted period.
The organizing company, PGCL, will bear all expenses for this trip. They have to submit their report on the inspection within seven days of their return from the tour.
The Ministry of Finance issued a circular on May 12, 2022, regarding the ban on foreign travel of government officials except for special needs to reduce pressure on foreign exchange reserves. It said that all types of foreign travel, including exposure visits, study tours, APA, innovation scope travel, and participation in workshops or seminars, will be suspended until re-ordered in the context of the post-Corona economic recovery and the current global crisis. This order will be applicable to both the development budget and the management budget.
PGCL General Manager (Planning and Development) Muhibur Rahman wrote in a Facebook post last Sunday that he inspected the construction of underground pipelines, coating materials, and other fittings for Sirajganj Industrial Park. That means the construction work is going on using the goods imported from China.
In this situation, when asked about the reason for going to China, Muhibur Rahman said, the goods have been brought; it is correct. But some more stuff will be brought.”
When asked about the necessity of the inspection at this time, Managing Director of PGCL Rukhsana Najma Ishaq could not make any reply.
Niamat Hossain, who is in charge (site engineer) of gas connection line construction work on behalf of the contractor, said that the work will be completed within one month if it goes on like this. But in the case of rain or any natural calamity, it may take more time.”