'Govt Services for Villagers To Be Made Easier'

The Local Government Division (LGD) is going to take a project to ensure the quick delivery of government services at the grassroots level through strengthening all wards under each union with better logistic support.

Under the project, LGD will set up an office at each ward of all unions so that villagers could avail themselves of government services fast without hazards.

Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Minister Md Tajul Islam disclosed the plan in an interview with UNB.   

''The Local Government Division will soon undertake a project to execute the plan. Information about population, voter list, the number of poor and orphans, the rate of education and road condition, will be available at the ward office once the project is implemented,'' he said.

Minister Tajul also said a citizen charter would be placed in front of each ward office so that people can easily get the necessary information about the area.

The ward office itself will bear its own expenses through different services, including E-services, photocopy, healthcare, electricity bill payment, visa service, and through selling bus, rail and air tickets.

Besides, the authorities have taken an initiative to implement a master plan at the upazila level. The plan includes the formulation and approval of the National Infrastructure Development Scheme within 2021. The plan is also aimed at formulation and giving approval to the Upazila Development Scheme to ensure urban facilities in villages within the current year.

About the development plan for municipalities, the minister said they are working to increase the capacity of municipalities across the country.

''A database is being prepared for all the city corporations and municipalities to ensure the optimum use of government funds and accountability of the officials concerned,'' he said.

Regarding the waterlogging problem in the capital city, the minister said Dhaka Water and Sewerage Authority (Dwasa) is being monitored to make sure that they take proper steps to fix the issue.

''Steps have also been taken to create public awareness on prevention of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases and make sure that municipalities and city corporations are performing their respective duties properly,'' Tajul Islam said.

The authorities are working to bring all the activities of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) under automation. The development will ensure transparency in project implementation, he said.

Replying to another question, the minister revealed that a specific regulation will be formulated on-road digging in Dhaka Metropolitan area to reduce public sufferings. 

About waste management, he said City Wide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) and Fecal Sludge Management (FSM) support cells have already been installed at the Department of Public Health Engineering for solid and human waste management. The cells began providing districts, Upazilas, and municipalities with technical assistance on solid and human waste management.

Besides, a training manual has been prepared on safe cleaning of septic tank wastes and a training program is underway.

He also said the institutional capacity enhancement program for waste management began with the help of ITN-Buet and DPHE.

Responding to another question, the minister said an initiative has been taken to distribute rainwater reservoirs among coastal people so that they can store drinking water and combat salinity.

In order to ensure the optimum use of groundwater, a project has been taken to assess the feasibility of water supply through clusters in city corporations and municipalities.

As per its election manifesto ''My village—My Town'', the government has begun a process of providing water to villages through pipelines. Besides, a project was undertaken for sanitation and waste management so that villages can avail of modern urban facilities, he said.

Source: UNB