Monitoring coal mining
A front page news item in an English daily (Nov: 10) reported on a heated debate on the sixth (?) draft coal policy at its (6X2) 12th meeting! Mathematically, we need (6X3) 18 meetings for the coal policy to be finally approved! The debate agreed that more experts were needed to monitor coal mining (open-cast?) and the environmental issues related to it! It also further recommended the forming of a high-powered committee for deciding on compensation payments and the rehabilitation of
the displaced and affected people in the mining areas. Hopefully, it will not delay the process of rehabilitation; as committees are usually prone to (come-to-tea) debate and prolonged decision making! Hopefully, in this case discussions will be cold, not hot!
One wonders that while both the subjects-- coal mining and environmental effects of coal mining-- are new subject matters for Bangladesh, we can still manage to marshal a sufficient number of local experts on the subject! Hopefully, for us they will have the requisite background and relevant practical knowledge on these technical issues, otherwise more hot and cold debates are in the offing! Unfortunately, I forgot about our retired or "ex
Charidikay Shamlatey Paris (CSPs)"; who are always available; capable of being "all-janta" ( know-it-all) on everything from "Juto shilai to chandipath" as the popular Bangla saying goes!
This reminds me of an actual happening in the early sixties. There was a German engineer(?) holding a high position, and still higher remuneration, in the then EPIDC. He was deployed as an expert in heavy construction; then managing our steel making industry(of course supported by his colleagues from Krupps) and lastly for natural gas drilling, transmission and distribution! A real three-in-one, and surprisingly well defended by the then erstwhile CSPs in our government! My only positive contribution at that time was in finally seeing him off from the gas sector as well as our budding industrial sector!
I hope and pray that we do not once again go for three-in-one or four-in-one variety of experts (local or expat). At the end of the day, they will create more problems than solutions. We may well do with enthusiasm, determination and the willingness to learn, with necessary technical background, prepared to accept the challenges.
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