CCC mayor seeks cooperation of government agencies
Proper coordination between the works of the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) and all government agencies providing services to its residents is a must for turning Chittagong into a liveable, green, healthy, and clean city, the mayor said yesterday.
AJM Nasir Uddin said CCC could not solve all problems single-handedly and with the lack of coordination, the dream of making it a global standard city would never come true.
He was addressing a views exchange meeting with top officials of 28 organisations including the Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) where CCC sought 124 specific assistances from 23 of the organisations.
The organisations include the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), Bangladesh Railway, Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), Chittagong Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (CWASA), Chittagong District Administration, Divisional Commissioner's office, the Department of Environment (DoE), Health Department, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Power Development Board (PDB), Water Development Board, Public Works Department (PWD), Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), and Fire Service and Civil Defence.
CCC organised the meeting at its newly built conference room.
Mayor Nasir said CCC hoped for these specific assistances for overall development of the city.
Out of the 124 assistances, the highest 20 were sought from CDA, 12 from CMP and 11 from Bangladesh Railway.
The CCC mayor said CDA should take its opinion while formulating the master and other plans, keep CCC representatives in the planning committees, and inform the mayor before finalising any plan.
It also hoped that CDA would keep it informed of plans to develop city roads, bridges or culverts and of any development project.
CWASA was requested to remove its water supply pipelines now lying beneath the culverts and to place those in higher places to keep the drainage system and water supply uninterrupted.
The request to the deputy commissioner was to assist in allocating 100 acres of land for CCC in Halishahar to build a permanent cattle market and bus and truck terminals.
Chittagong Deputy Commissioner Mejbah Uddin said if the Prime Minister's Office approved, the land could be sold to CCC at low cost.
During the tenure of former mayor and BNP leader Manjur Alam, CCC could not buy 10 acres of land in the same area as the price was fixed at Tk 83 crore.
Divisional Commissioner Mohammad Abdullah assured the mayor of all support.
CMP Commissioner Abdul Jalil Mondol said they would provide security and legal support in drives like removing illegal billboards and evicting grabbers of canals, drains or footpaths.
The mayor said all existing billboards in the city were illegal as CCC did not give permission for erecting any billboard since the last fiscal year and it would not renew the previous approvals.
Giving assurance to extend his all-out cooperation, CDA Chairman Abdus Salam called for bilateral discussions between CCC and CDA to fix some issues.
Agreeing with the proposal to construct sluice gates by CPA at the connecting points between the canals and river Karnaphuli to resist entry of tidal water, CPA Chairman Rear Admiral Nizamuddin Ahmed underscored the need a proper study about the drainage system and discussion with authorities concerned to mitigate waterlogging. The mayor also requested all the organisations to pay the arrears of holding taxes.
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