RADP cut can spare health & education

That the Revised Annual Development Programme (RADP) will have changes in the original allocations for different sectors of the economy is nothing unusual. But what is unexpected is the drastic cuts effected in the allocations for the health and education sectors under the present interim government. For, unlike it was the case under the fallen pre-uprising anti-people regime, the current one is pledge-bound to treat with the highest priority these two core sectors of the economy. That is because this government is committed to developing human capital. The Chief Adviser (CA), Dr Muhammad Yunus, too, shortly after assuming office, promised so at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) held at the UN Headquarter in New York, USA, on September 27 of 2024. In his address to the UNGA, he said told his government prioritised allocations in health and education sectors over grandiose infrastructure development schemes to ensure that even the child of a farmer or worker can reach the top position in society.

Contrarily, the proposed RADP seeks to slash health budget by half to Tk 56.69 billion from Tk 111.53 billion. Primary and mass education as also secondary and higher education sectors are slated to receive Tk33.71 billion and Tk50 billion less in the RADP than the ADP outlay. How can one reconcile this with what CA told the UNGA last year? True, following the presentation of the original ADP, the planning minister stressed rationalisation of the budget for development projects in the future. This is understandable against the backdrop of the deposed regime's corrupt practice of sanctioning irrational amounts of funds for the ADP only to be misappropriated by the corrupt and inefficient project officials. The end result was poor rate of implementation of the projects. In particular, the health sector was identified by the planning minister as one that was rife with indiscipline and as such was circumspect about increasing allocation in the sector. For instance, costly diagnostic machinery could be found sitting idle and rusting in different public hospitals without the trained technicians to operate those. Clearly, corrupt officials of the health sector were involved in the purchase of the machines simply to line their pockets, without considering if there were any skilled staff to operate those. Unsurprisingly, this and other instances of corruption and inefficiencies in this sector were behind the drastic fall in the quality of health service in the public hospitals compelling patients to seek treatment abroad. The patients from the low-income bracket, on the other hand, would resign to their fate and go without any treatment. 

To speak of education, it was a notorious den of corruption since long, let alone during the previous authoritarian regime. From recruitment of teachers to allocating funds for teachers' salaries and other purposes to schools, many of which were only on paper, to printing textbooks for students, you name it, irregularities and corruption were rife. So, the argument of rationalising fund allocations for these sectors may have some justifications when referring to the situation prevailing during the previous corrupt regime. But should health and education get the axe now, when the interim government is crusading against corruption and inefficiency in every branch of the administration without exception? Before finalising the RADP, the planning commission would do well to spare at least health and education, the two vital sectors of human development, the axe of spending cuts.