Dhaka’s population and civic amenities must be consistent – Minister for Local Government
Pallab Rana / Thelegalvoice24.com :
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Md Tajul Islam said that the suffering of the citizens in the city will not be reduced if the population of Dhaka megacity and the civic facilities for them are not consistent.
Emphasizing on proper planning for this, he said, there is a certain capacity in providing any utility service like electricity, gas or water. Overpopulation will put pressure on supply systems and disrupt service delivery.
He said this in the chief guest speech at the Bill Collection Award 20021-22 organized by Dhaka WASA at an elite hotel in the capital today.
Commenting that the water price of WASA should be determined zone-wise, he said that it is discriminatory to have the same price of water in elite areas of Dhaka and water in poor populated areas.
At that time, the minister said that the increase in WASA revenue in 2009 from Tk 400 crores to Tk 2000 crores now is because now all people get water.
Referring to Bangladesh as the 35th economy, the minister said that Bangladesh is moving forward to achieve the per capita income target of twelve and a half thousand US dollars by 2041.
The local government minister said that the government is currently formulating and implementing the fifth anniversary plan to make Bangladesh a developed and smart Bangladesh by 2041.
He said, compared to many developed countries, the wealth disparity of our country is less. Now the village economy of Bangladesh is also very strong.
Pointing out that there are various types of pollution starting from air pollution and traffic jams in Dhaka due to overpopulation, he said, it is destroying the work ethic and working hours of the people of Dhaka city, it should be de-polluted.
Auditor General and Controller Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury, Additional Secretary of Local Government Department Mohammad Khairul Islam, Dhaka WASA Board Chairman Dr. Engineer Golam Mostafa were present as special guests of the event. It was presided over by Dhaka WASA Managing Director and CEO Engineer Taksim A Khan.
