Mohadevpur dorpan, Q. M. Sayeed Tito, Mohadevpur (Naogaon), 9 September 2020 :

After publishing news in various national and regional dailies and online portals of the country including FNS, the issue of irregularities in the Tk 2 crore project of Mahadevpur Upazila Primary Education Office is finally being investigated. The inquiry committee will investigate the matter at the Upazila Education Office on Thursday (September 10) at 10am.

Although there was a provision to complete the work of the projects by June 30 in the last financial year, the work of these projects has not been completed yet. But as the work has been completed 100 percent, the entire money of the project has been withdrawn by submitting fake vouchers and illegally deposited in the account of the Upazila Primary Education Officer.

This has been known by visiting a few schools on the spot. Visiting Shahjadpur Government Primary School in Khajur Union of the upazila on Wednesday afternoon, it was seen that construction work of Shaheed Minar was going on.

Meanwhile, the then Upazila Primary Education Officer Mazharul Islam has been transferred to Porsha Upazila.

When asked, Upazila Primary Education Officer Safia Akhter Apu said the project has not been extended. But now no one has been able to give a good answer on how they are working on the project.

Naogaon District Primary Education Officer Yusuf Reza said Raihanul Islam, deputy director of the finance department of the primary education department, would come to Mahadevpur from Dhaka on Thursday to investigate the matter. He will investigate the matter after publishing the news in the newspaper.

He said a letter has been sent from the department to both the parties to be present at the Mahadevpur Upazila Primary Education Office for investigation on Thursday. One side is concerned with Mahadevpur Upazila Education Office, and the other side is journalist.

It may be mentioned that on July 20, news related to this was published in almost all national and local newspapers and online portals of the country including FNS. The published news says:

Massive irregularities have been alleged in the Upazila Primary Education Office’s Tk 2 crore project under the PEDP-4 project at Naogaon’s Mahadevpur Primary Education Development Program. Fake vouchers have been submitted saying that 100 percent of the work has been completed without working on the projects. 

Although not working, the entire money was withdrawn from the project and illegally kept in the account of the education officer.
In the financial year 2019-20, out of 135 government primary schools in Mahadevpur upazila of Naogaon with the funding of donor agencies JICA, USAID and UKAID, 7 government primary schools were given Rs. Tk 94 lakh for government primary schools, Tk 9 lakh for two government primary schools, Tk 3 lakh for Tk 1.5 lakh, Tk 20,000 for wash block works in 10 government primary schools, Tk 2 lakh for each and 135 government primary schools for regular repairs. In some of the schools, 50 thousand rupees and in some 70 thousand rupees, a total of more than 2 crore rupees was allocated.

Although the money was allocated at the beginning of the financial year, the administration spent 10 months to select the schools. The list of schools was published just a month and a half before the end of the financial year. The schools were informed that they have to complete the project work with their own money and submit the vouchers. This amount will be released after receiving the clearance regarding the completion of the project given by the Chairman of the Upazila Primary Education Committee and the representative appointed by the Upazila Chairman.

There was a provision to complete the work of these projects on June 30. But no project has been completed till the writing of this report. Some of the work has not started. Though construction of Shaheed Minar was planned in 23 government primary schools, none of them started. But vouchers have been collected from the listed schools as the work has been completed one hundred percent. The entire money of the project has been withdrawn by submitting these fake vouchers. The headmasters of the schools and the presidents of the managing committees of the schools are swearing in the Upazila Primary Education Officer every day to withdraw the allotted money.
When asked, Upazila Primary Education Officer Mazharul Islam said, “If the project is not completed by June 30, the money allocated for the project will lapse and it will have to be returned.” So he collected the advance voucher and withdrew all the money from the project and deposited it in the account of the Upazila Primary Education Officer. When the work of the projects is completed, the bill will be paid from there. But this payment will be shown on the backdate, by June 30.

Naogaon District Primary Education Officer Yusuf Reza said the project would not be completed after June 30. He also said that it is not legal to withdraw money from the project and keep it in the account of the education officer. He said that after June 30, the unspent money of the project will be considered as laps and it will be returned.

He could not give any good answer as to how the Mahadevpur Upazila Primary Education Officer, by showing a thumbs up to the government rules and regulations, raised a bill for 100 per cent completion of work by submitting fake vouchers.

The local Sudhimahal has demanded an immediate and proper investigation into the matter, identifying and canceling the fake vouchers submitted illegally and returning the unspent money of the project.