Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moin Khan has urged officials of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) to ensure the optimum use of limited resources by preventing waste of public funds.

He said government officials are custodians of public resources and must therefore ensure accountability, proper planning and effective implementation in every development project.

The minister made the remarks as the chief guest at a discussion on LGED’s development activities held at the department’s headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, today. State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam attended the meeting as a special guest.

Dr Moin said merely preparing plans on paper would not be enough; their proper implementation is the most important part. As the country’s resources are limited, development initiatives must be designed to achieve maximum results at minimum cost while maintaining a balance between needs and capacity.

He stressed that project implementation should take into account public service requirements and realities at the grassroots level.

The minister also said LGED had ushered in a new era in rural infrastructure development through initiatives taken by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, bringing significant changes to the country’s rural infrastructure. He expressed hope that the benefits of the development plans currently being undertaken under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would be enjoyed by the people over the next 20 to 30 years.

He said LGED officials hold a key responsibility for developing Bangladesh’s rural infrastructure and communities. He urged everyone to work together to implement government development plans while giving priority to the welfare of people at the grassroots.

Speaking at the meeting, State Minister Mir Shahe Alam said the use of bricks in rural road construction should be reduced and the use of Uni-blocks and CC blocks increased. He suggested using these materials instead of bricks on narrow roads measuring six to nine feet in width. For roads used by heavy vehicles, RCC, carpeting and locally sourced stone should be used where appropriate.

He also instructed officials to use “binya grass” to prevent soil erosion along riverbanks and on flood-prone roads.

The state minister further called for greater use of solar panels at local government institutions, including union parishads, upazila parishads and marketplaces. He said surplus electricity generated through solar power could be supplied to the national grid through net metering, reducing electricity costs while generating additional revenue for local institutions.

He instructed officials to give priority to installing solar panels at their respective offices.

Local Government Division Secretary Md Shahidul Hasan, LGED Chief Engineer Md Belal Hossain, senior ministry officials, executive engineers from various districts, project directors of ongoing LGED projects and upazila engineers were present at the meeting.