A decision was made to form anti-sabotage committee in every ward under the leadership of the councilors to prevent the sabotage perpetrated around the quota reformation movement on Sunday.
The decision was taken in a general meeting of various organizations. It was instructed by Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury. He also instructed to make the Imam of the mosques, head of educational institutions and other people of important occupations and classes members of the committee and to hold a meeting every month.
CCC Mayor gave the instructions at the 42th general meeting at the conference room of the disaster management building at Laldighi Par on Sunday morning. Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury presided over the meeting.
CCC Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said some local and foreign evil power tried to make the country ineffective in the name of quota reformation movement. However, it was prevented by the valiant effort of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He said I am involved in politics since 1966 and I participated in the 1969’s uprising, liberation war, and anti-dictatorship movement.
He also said that there are law enforcement forces to maintain the law and order situation. However, as the representatives elected by the people, we have some responsibilities too. He said that the councilors will form non-political anti-sabotage committee in every ward to protect the lives and properties of the public. We have to prevent sabotage at the grassroots level, he added.
The Mayor instructed to accelerate the activities to prevent dengue disease as well. He said the monsoon has come. We need to speed up sanitation and mosquito control activities to prevent dengue disease. The councilors will monitor the matter. He told the councilors to inform him if there is any manpower shortage. However, it will not be tolerated that some workers will do their work and the rest will take salary without working. Those who are taking salaries without doing any work will be listed and exempted.
About evicting the illegal hawkers, the CCC Mayor said the dwellers of Chattogram have seen the role of the hawkers in the recent violence. The hawkers have occupied the roads in New Market intersection again by taking advantage of the administration as they were busy to prevent the violent activities. We will conduct eviction drives again in the New Market intersection and return public’s road to them. They will also decide their actions to ban the battery-run auto rickshaws after consulting with the traffic department. Moreover, we will send letter to Police Commissioner to prevent the spreading of drugs if needed. We have initiated pay-parking in Agrabad to ease traffic jam. More measures will be taken to increase parking facilities, he added.
He said that they are developing the city with a project of Tk 2,500 crores. No council was able to bring such a large budget after the independence. The chief engineer will present the information of ward-wise activities within the next week. I will not accept any work of low-standard. CUET will be given the responsibility to check the standard of everything, from polls to lights, to implement the recently signed illumination project. I want sustainable development.
The Mayor declared the names of the roads that were not named till now and the roads that will be built in future. The roads were named after the names of famous freedom fighters. He instructed the chief health officer to take measures to ensure proper treatment by doing necessary renovation work at all the health complexes.
Executive Engineer Abdur Rauf, representative of WASA, said if the Chattogram Water Supply Improvement Project is passed in the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), there will be no shortage of drinking water in ward no. 40 and ward no. 41.
A number of councilors expressed their frustration against WASA saying they have cut the newly-constructed roads. WASA contractors take the road building materials, including the macadam used under the roads, bricks, sands and stones, provided by CCC during the construction and fill the roads with soil after completing the work. As a result, the roads become unusable during the monsoon as the soil subsides and it causes immense sufferings to the city dwellers.
The councilors asked WASA to inform the authorities concerned and the executive engineer before cutting any road.
The CCC Mayor said that several roads of the city will be named after heroic Freedom Fighters.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of CCC Md Ashraful Amin, Panel Mayor, Councilors, Divisional and Departmental Heads of CCC and representatives of various government organizations were present at the meeting.
