Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) filed three more graft cases against three officials of Rajshahi Development Authority (RDA), including one of its former chairman, with Shah Makhdum Police Station in the city on Sunday.
Ex-chairman of RDA Abdul Mannan (retired joint secretary) and ex-chief accounts officer (CAO) and finance adviser M Abdur Rab Joardar were made accused in all the three cases while ex-estate officer Abu Bakar Siddik made accused in two cases.
ACC's former deputy director of Rajshahi Abdul Karim (now posted in Pabna district) filed the cases for building three-storied RDA market without tender and irregularities in recruitment and plot allocation between December 2003 and September 2004.
According to a case, RDA in 2003 allowed four leading businessmen of RDA Market Businessmen Association, including the association's general secretary, for constructing a three-storied market without any tender in place of the 1986-87 made tin-shade market.
For constructing the three-storied market, the estimated construction cost was Tk 1.30 crore and the RDA's chief accounts officer argued that the building might be built by the RDA businessmen, as the authority has no fund for it. ACC says this excuse is invalid as none can violate rules showing any excuse.
By constructing the market by the businessmen, RDA officials then acted against its interest and helped the businessmen earning around Tk 100 crore through allocation of the shops, says the allegation.
The former RDA chairman and estate officer were the signatories of the contract papers prepared with the four businessmen following Joarder's notes.
In another case, the plaintiff alleged that RDA recruited officials and employees against 14 posts in September 2004 violating rules, including not holding written tests, canceling written test results and without prior approval of proper authorities.
Results of written test for the post of assistant engineer post were cancelled when job seeker Sheikh Quamruzzaman could not pass in the test. A day later he was appointed though only oral test in September, 2004.
Similarly, 13 other persons were also appointed for posts of assistant town planner, sub assistant engineer, clerk cum typist, typist cum computer operator, driver, designer, surveyor, MLSS, guard, accountant, draftsman, building inspector and accounts assistant violating rules, including sometimes over aged persons.
RDA Chairman Abdul Mannan was made OSD on September 27 and on the very last date of his office he signed the documents of all illegal appointments. Abdur Rab Joarder was also sued in the case for assisting the chairman.
Yet another case, 89 persons, affected for RDA's land acquisition, applied for the government plots in Chandrima Residential Area.
As per the rules, RDA distributed 71 plots, each of five kathas of land, among the affected persons. Among the rest 18 plots, the three accused distributed 15 plots to 11 persons who were officials, employees RDA or its non-government directorial board members.
Although one of the major conditions was that the affected persons and their relatives must not have any land property in any divisional headquarters in the country, the then RDA chairman Abdul Mannan and estate officer Abdur Rab Joarder got plots.
For getting plots, all 11 persons applied using blank papers without the prescribed forms and necessary documents and despite not being affected, they bought plots at the price fixed for the affected persons.
Some plot buyers sold off the lands to other persons after buying those from RDA.
Though Abdur Rab Joarder did not take any plot, he signed the illegal papers, says the ACC.
Source : The Daily Star
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