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Conceptually, the programme for pairing the dual jobs of rural road maintenance and employing vulnerable women who head their families for the task is a perfect recipe. In popular parlance it is called the 'food for work' programme. At a time when various social safety-net programmes are mired in nepotism, selection of undeserving recipients in exchange for bribe money and various other irregularities, such a programme also runs the risk of anomalies, but at least a recipient has to do some work to get the benefit of this government support. Also this country is not famous for maintenance of infrastructure. From costly and sophisticated machines and equipment to mega structures ---all are subjected to neglect once they have been installed or constructed. Rural roads are built in many cases on weak or shifting soils with the chance of submersion of lands on one side or both or damage to roads in the rainy season when gushing water even tries to break free.
So, this is a good combination if such roads are monitored constantly and there are maintenance workers who can prove handy to do the repairing either in advance or promptly. From this perspective, the proposal for a 20.99-billion rural road-maintenance project submitted by the Local Government Division (LGD) to the Planning Commission for approval has special merit, particularly at this time of soaring inflation. Following the failure by the Economic Relations Division (ERD) to manage Tk 19.99 billion from external sources, it now suggests mobilisation of the proposed fund from internal sources. Considering the total length of the rural roads estimated at 91,080 kilometres to be covered by the programme and the 45,540 targeted beneficiaries of underprivileged women, the expenditure deserves serious consideration. But the more important question is, if the money---if and when allocated---will be well spent. Whether the implementers are ready to come out of their past dubious implementation method is the crux of the problem.
A few issues have already surfaced. At the meeting of the Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Institutions Division (AWRRID) scheduled to be held on February 4, the LGD will have to provide satisfactory explanation for those issues. One of the issues is, if Tk 300 fixed as daily wage for vulnerable women is enough for a family. Against such a low wage, the allocation of Tk350 million for training under NGOs hardly looks rational. Again, the chairman of the AWRRID has expressed his serious reservation about the huge allocation, as reported in the FE, for computers, laptops and consultancy. He has not mentioned the amounts allocated on such heads.
If the chairman of the division concerned finds the allocation on such heads beyond proportion of a project meant for maintenance of roads and at the same time an orchestrated move to alleviate poverty, it does not bode well for the project. Many of the projects undertaken to reduce poverty in the country had tremendous merit but all those faltered because the allocated money did not properly reach the targeted beneficiaries. Unnecessary and irrelevant paraphernalia were added to the projects in order to escalate the costs and make room for misappropriation of funds. It will be unfortunate if the civil servants cannot get out of the traditional mentality to look afresh at projects in a country that has literally experienced a rebirth on August 5 last.