Local levels pawn off govt projects to NGOs for commission

BARA: Misappropriating the tax payer’s money, local levels in the district have been found selling the budget-programmes declared by government for uplifting target group to Non-Government Organisations.

The budget allocated for raising awareness, improving standard of living and skill development among women, disabled and marginalised community is being sold by the local level representatives after taking commission from the NGOs.

NGOs purchase the budget-programmes and spend a portion of it in bootless events to lie on the expenses, a ward secretary said on the condition of anonymity.

It has been learnt that the local level representatives serve an aide to NGO workers and pawn off the social development budget at a minimum rate of 30 to 40 per cent commission.

“Various NGOs in the district have made advance payments up to 30 per cent of the budgeted-project to buy it from either ward secretaries or local representatives,” a NGO worker said on the condition of anonymity.

Likewise, a secretary at Kalaiya Sub-Metropolitan also sought anonymity before saying that the trend of misappropriating the budget by seeking information on the programmes before hand and luring government staffers to sell it to them is prevailing in the region.

According to the secretary, “Many secretaries have sold the programmes and earned Rs400,000 –Rs500,000 since January.”

In this backdrop, the District Administration Office, Bara has witnessed registration of around 1800 NGOs. Out of the total NGOs only few apply for license renewal, a DAO employee said.