How a health sector project gets stuck just for an NID

The implementation of a large development project in the health sector got stuck for over six months owing to delays in the submission of a mere National Identity Card (NID) photocopy and a photograph of its project director, officials familiar with the matter told The Business Standard.

The incident happened with the project undertaken to set up the Sheikh Hasina Medical College and Hospital in Jamalpur. 

"The NID and photo of the project director were required for electricity connection to the project site. The outgoing project director Dr Mehedi Iqbal did not submit those, causing over six months of delay in project implementation," said Mobarak Hossain, executive engineer at the Department of Public Works in Jamalpur.

Although small constructions can be carried on with oil-run generators, there must be electricity in large building constructions, according to engineers associated with development projects. Otherwise, the implementation costs increase significantly.

"The issue [regarding the electricity connection] was resolved in April this year after Dr Iqbal went on post-retirement leave and a new project director [acting] came," he told TBS, adding that the outgoing project director might fail to realise that the construction work would be stalled until his NID and photograph are available.

Meanwhile, the Project Implementation Committee of the health ministry, at a meeting on 13 April, instructed the health directorate to serve a show-cause notice to the project director, Dr Mehedi Iqbal, over his failure in submitting his NID and photo. Additional Secretary Jahangir Hossain presided over the meeting.

When contacted, the immediate past project director, Dr Mehedi Iqbal, told TBS that he was not asked for the NID and photo at all by the Jamalpur public works department. "Even so, electricity connection should not be delayed over such documents from the project director," he added.

Talking to The Business Standard, a senior official at the Sheikh Hasina Medical College and Hospital, seeking anonymity, alleged that Dr Mehedi Iqbal was rarely seen at the site although he served as the project director for more than two years.

Commencing in 2016, the Sheikh Hasina Medical College and Hospital and Nursing College project was supposed to come to an end in 2019, but it did not happen. Uncertainty in getting loans from India was the initial reason for the delay. For speedy implementation, the government last year decided to fund the project on its own. The alleged carelessness of Dr Mehedi Iqbal is blamed for the later delays.

According to the latest project revision, the implementation of the project is scheduled to be completed this month, yet the physical progress of the project so far is only 38%.

Professor Dr ASM Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury, principal of the Sheikh Hasina Medical College Jamalpur, told TBS that due to the lack of classrooms and other basic infrastructure, education in the college is being disrupted. 

"The project needs speedy implementation, but the construction work of the college and hospital buildings has almost remained stopped for a long time. There has been no progress owing to the absence of a full-time project director here," he added.

Under this ongoing project, a total of 24 buildings, including six-storey and eight-storey ones, are being erected.

Talking to The Business Standard, former secretary of the Planning Commission Md Mamun-Al-Rashid said the government incurs losses due to such kinds of negligence by project managers. There is scope for taking departmental proceedings to prevent such irregularities. It can be through a reduction in pay grade or demotion in positions, he explained.

"In the case of the project director who has already gone on post-retirement leave, there is no opportunity to take departmental action against him. But there may be a civil case. However, such a penalty is rare in the country,"  Mamun-Al-Rashid said. He called for exemplary punishment for the project director if the allegations are found true.