The professional organization Engineers Institution, Bangladesh (IEB) has protested the unreasonable proposal of the Deputy Commissioners’ Conference-2023 to ask for the power of the development project estimate preparation, design and supervision including the financial expenditure of the project.
This protest was announced in a press release signed by IEB General Secretary Engineer Md. Shahadat Hossain Shiblu.
In the press release, it is said that the statement presented by the DCs about the development project in the Deputy Commissioners Conference-2023 is unrealistic and unreasonable. By raising such demands, the DCs are seeking to violate existing procurement laws. In the light of Rule-12 of PPR 2008, Public Works and LGED projects are implemented by engineering firms with technical expertise to carry out the works of Ministry of Lands and Ministry of Public Administration.
The opinion of DCs shows that DCs are more competent than engineers in preparing engineering project estimates, design, supervision and quality assurance. DCs have said that ‘project implementation through engineers has problems with project estimation, design, monitoring and maintaining quality’, IEB thinks such comments amount to extreme audacity.
The press release also informed that if the DCs complete their coordination work properly, it will be possible to implement the projects on time. The matter of such demand of DCs was resolved only by suspending the order dated January 18, 2022 of the Ministry of Public Administration.
The proposal raised by the DCs caused great anger among the engineers and the engineers expressed deep concern about the continuation of the development program of the country.
The IEB strongly demanded the government not to consider the said proposal presented by the DCs in the Deputy Commissioners Conference-2023. Otherwise, the country’s engineers will be forced to take vigorous programs to continue the country’s development activities, the press release said.
It should be noted that an emergency meeting of the heads of various engineering organizations was held on Wednesday (January 25) under the leadership of IEB President Nurul Huda and a meeting of the Services and Welfare Committee of IEB was held on Thursday (January 26). Hundreds of engineers were present at the meeting.