Ministry forms committee to investigate irregularities of Ctg Wasa staff association
A three-member committee of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives has started investigating the allegation of encroachment of government land against The Wasa Employees Cooperative Society Limited, the employee association of Chattogram Wasa.
The members of the committee visited the ground to inspect various structures and use of land, including houses and shops in the name of The Wasa Employees Co-operative Society Limited from 11:00am to 4:00pm on Wednesday (22 November).
The committee will visit the remaining areas on Thursday (23 November).
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Joint Secretary of the Local Government Department Md Emdadul Haque Chowdhury is the head of the investigation committee.
The other two members of the committee are Senior Assistant Secretary Prottoy Hasan and Directorate of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) Executive Engineer Bashir Ahmed.
After the inspection on Wednesday, members of the investigation committee spoke with WASA officials. They also met with the leaders of the Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB), an organisation that protects the interests of consumers.
Talking to WASA officials and employees, it is known that Rijuan Hossain Dulal is the president of the Wasa Employees Cooperative Society Limited and Mohammad Zakaria is the general secretary. In addition to the president and general secretary of the organisation, several other employees are occupying the WASA space and setting up shops illegally.
Among them, at the beginning of this year, 7 shops were built on the site of pumphouse no 16 in the Khalasi Pond area of Khaja Road. Three more shops have been built and rented in front of Wasa Staff Colony in the Nashirabad area of Bayezid Road in the city.
Besides, 5 paved shops have been constructed in the Mansurabad area of the city in front of Wasa Pump House next to Dhaka Trunk Road. Some employees also collect rent from these.
Chattogram WASA Managing Director (MD) Engineer AKM Fazlullah told The Business Standard, "The committee has come from the ministry. We have given all the information they asked us. They will report. Details can be told when the report is in hand."
