Asks secys to limit foreign tours
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Thursday urged the government officials to prioritise the development works considering the limited resources of the country.

She also called upon the bureaucrats to be innovative while discharging their duties so that Bangladesh could be turned into a middle income country by 2021.

She said these at a meeting with the secretaries of different ministries at the Cabinet Division at the secretariat on the day.

“I call upon you (secretaries) to take some new innovative ideas so that we can retain 6.0 per cent growth, ensure utmost welfare of the people and make the country to be a middle income country by 2021,” Cabinet Secretary MA Aziz told the media quoting the Prime Minister as saying after the meeting at the Cabinet Division.

He said that the Prime Minister had expressed her satisfaction over the 92 per cent implementation of Annual Development Programme (ADP) during the 2010-11 fiscal.

He said the cabinet — out of its previous 124 meetings- has taken 801 decisions. The rate of implementation of the decisions was 87 per cent.

The cabinet secretary said that the Prime Minister had urged the secretaries to implement the grand alliance government’s election manifesto in realising the Vision 2021.

The Prime Minister urged the secretaries to work in a coordinated manner to reduce the primary education dropout rate and implement the National Education Policy-2010, the cabinet secretary also quoted the prime minister as saying.

On the issue of social safety net programme for the poor, the Prime Minsiter urged the secretaries to examine the viability if financial supports under social safety net programme to the poor were allocated through bank accounts or post office so that none could be deprived of their rights.

MA Aziz said the Prime Minister had urged the secretaries to reduce their frequent foreign tours.

“If you (secretaries) are frequent in travelling abroad then how would you work more? So, I request you- please limit your foreign tours to at least five times a year,” the Prime Minster said, quoted the cabinet secretary.

He said that in the meeting the Prime Minister has urged the secretaries to monitor the project implementation and development work at the field level.

The Prime Minister has expressed satisfaction over the market monitoring drive by the concerned authority that helped contain the price spiral of essential commodities during the last Ramadan.

She suggested continuation of the market monitoring drive round the year and add more luggage bogies in trains for transporting essential commodities to the wholesale markets. She ordered to build more wholesale markets in the capital.

The Prime Minister stressed on proper land zoning and urged the secretaries to discourage people building houses on agricultural land.

Regarding Power, the meeting discussed that about 2,000 MW power has been added to the national grid this year and 3,000 MW more will come from private sector power development projects.

The Prime Minister called upon the secretaries to develop the rural electrification.

Asked whether Padma bridge project was discussed in the meeting MA Aziz said, “The matter was discussed. The Prime Minister has urged the officials to give utmost priority to the project”.

A secretary who attended the meeting told the FE that the Prime Minister had said that her government would not compromise with the corruption.

“We (government) would not comprise with the corruption and will take stern action if there was any authentic proof of corruption in any government development work,” the secretary said quoting the Prime Minister.

He, however, strongly said that the Prime Minister did not order investigation into the allegations of corruption in Padma Bridge project during her meeting with the secretaries Thursday.

Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad and 48 secretaries were present at the meeting of whom 24 exchanged views on different issues with the Prime Minister, said the cabinet secretary.

thefinancialexpress