<i>Two ministries at loggerheads over new CDA organogram</i>
The finance ministry and the housing and public works ministry are at loggerheads over approval of the new organisational structure (organogram) of Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) with a full-fledged planning wing.
The finance ministry approved the proposed organogram in the first week of March with two new posts of chief town planner and deputy chief town planner dropped, which angered the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, appointing authority at CDA, sources said.
The housing ministry sent back the proposed organogram to the finance ministry for inclusion of the two posts of chief town planner and deputy chief town planner two weeks ago, they added.
Besides, the housing ministry in its reply showed reasons for creation of two vital new posts with a full-fledged planning wing when the finance ministry wanted to know about the matter.
According to sources, CDA proposed for restructuring its organogram with creation and inclusion of 61 new posts under 26 categories and abolition of 53 obsolete ones under 14 different categories late in 2006.
The proposal was made in consistence with the Chittagong Metropolitan Master Plan (CMMP) that recommended for establishing a full-fledged planning department, empowering the CDA to plan on its own.
The ministry for housing and public works approved the revised proposal with 52 new posts under 26 categories alongside the salary scale and recruitment rules in April last year.
The establishment ministry also okayed the proposed organogram in June last year and sent it to the finance ministry for its approval.
Sources said the CMMP prepared with the technical assistance of United Nations Centre for Housing and Settlement (UNCHS) and financial assistance of United Nations Development Program (UNDP) also recommended for restructuring CDA that lacked in a full-fledged planning department and abolition of some posts which were of no use.
With the organogram CDA could have a full-fledged planning department to help implement the development plans of CMMP prepared at a cost of around Tk 12 crore, they said.
As per the new organogram CDA could have a chief town planner to head the planning department and one deputy chief town planner with three town planners and six assistant town planners working under him.
At present CDA has only one town planner and one assistant town planner.
In absence of the new organogram they have been working in the same posts for over a decade.
One town planner, on condition of anonymity, said absence of the posts has discouraged them to continue service in the CDA and one of the two assistant town planners, who was recruited on temporary basis for preparing Detailed Area Plan (DAP), has resigned.
“We are also thinking of following the same way,” he added.
CDA Chairman Shah Mohammad Akhter Uddin said CDA could not be developed as a planning-based organisation due to lack of workforce, including the planners, architects and GIS operators.
He said the new organogram will help CDA perform up to the desired level and implement projects.
He said cooperation and support from all the development partners and other organisations concerned are needed in this regard.
As per the proposed organogram CDA will have one senior architect and two assistant architects in the architect wing.
It will also allow recruitment of officials to develop a strong team of two authorised officers, four assistant authorised officers and 20 inspectors to monitor development and check unplanned growth.
Earlier, there was none to coordinate between the authorised officers and the inspectors working in the field level.
In the same way the deputy secretary will fill up the gap between the assistant secretary and the secretary, who will be appointed on deputation, sources said.
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