Illegal Appointment Of 441 Staff
Sylhet mayor, some staff may face charge
Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran
Authorities may go for action against Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) mayor, some officials and ward commissioners for 'illegal' appointment of 441 employees on master roll during 2003-2005. An investigation by a high powered team termed the appointments 'unapproved and illegal'. Its report was submitted to the local government ministry last week, a top official in SCC told this correspondent. Though Sylhet division was formed in 1994, the divisional headquarters--the then Sylhet Pourashava--was upgraded to city corporation in 2002. Initially, the then Pourasabha chairman Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran was nominated mayor. He was however elected the first mayor of SCC on March 20, 2003. With formation of city corporation and expansion of its area, it needed more manpower. To meet the demand, SCC made some temporary appointments in posts of 4th class employees like cleaner, electrician, helper and peon on master roll (no work no payment) basis Taking advantage of the situation, a section of SCC officials recruited as many as 441 people on master roll during the period (2003-2005), many of them allegedly in exchange of money. After promulgation of emergency, law enforcers caught the chief engineer, an executive engineer and some ward commissioners for their alleged complicity in the corruption. During quizzing, they confesses to many 'unfair deals' including alleged realisation of money in appointment of master roll employees. They told the interrogators that a group had earned huge amounts of money from many master roll employees, promising regularisation of their services. But nothing could be done as the local government ministry did not approve the appointments. Ultimately, the ministry cancelled the appointments in June this year. Soon after, acting mayor Azam Khan appealed to the ministry saying, services by the SCC will collapse of the 441 employees out of total 581 are sacked. Azam Khan became the acting mayor when Kamran was arrested for alleged corruption in leasing SCC land for a private sopping complex. The ministry took a lenient view and kept things suspended for the time being. It formed a probe team headed by Additional Divisional Commissioner of Sylhet Gyanendra Nath Biswas. The probe team submitted its report on Sunday last, sources in SCC said. Talking to this correspondent on Wednesday, the acting mayor said taking actions against those responsible for the 'misdeeds' is dependent on the ministry. He however said services to city dwellers will collapse if the master roll employees are sacked without making any alternative arrangement. All the appointees are poor and they should be allowed to continue in service on humanitarian ground, he said.
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