Tk 46,516cr S suppl budget passed amid criticism over health sector

The Jatiya Sangsad on Monday passed the supplementary budget of Tk 46,516.11 crore for the outgoing 2019–20 fiscal year amid criticism over the abysmal state of the health sector exposed by the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Harunur Rashid, a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician, said that the health sector was in a quagmire as the ruling party failed to bring about any improvement during its stay in power for the last 12 years.

Clad in personal protective equipment, Harunur Rashid described a pathetic condition of the district hospital at Chapainawabganj in his constituency at the fag end of the discussion on the supplementary budget. 

Slamming the government for delaying the approval of Gonoshasthaya Kendra’s COVID-19 rapid test kit, he alleged that the ruling party made the country’s health sector completely dependent on India.

Deputy opposition leader GM Quader of the Jatiya Party, Awami League leaders Abul hasan Mamhmood Ali, Tahzeeb Alam Siddique and Waseqa Ayesha Khan also took part in the discussion on two of the total 24 demands for grants.

The two demands for grants discussed were for the social welfare ministry and the disaster management and relief ministry.

Finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal who placed the national budget for 2020–21 and also the supplementary budget said that he placed a humane budget aiming at saving lives.       

GM Quader, however, demanded the constitution of a commission on the health sector to identify corruption in procurement and mismanagement.

He lamented that the health ministry had no capacity to utilise money against requirement of more allocation for the sector.   

Quader, too, described a pathetic condition of the district hospital at Lalmonirhat in his constituency.

The BNP, Jatiya Party and Gano Forum brought 167 cut motions, but those were rejected in voice votes.

Mustafa Kamal told parliament that an amount of Tk 5,23,190 crore was allocated in favour of 62 ministries and divisions for the 2019-20 fiscal year.

But in the supplementary budget, he said, the allocations for 26 ministries and divisions have been increased to Tk 46,516.11 crore while Tk 18,353.97 crore was reduced for 35 ministries and divisions.

As a result, the total allocation now stands at Tk 501,577 crore.

The Finance Division got the highest allocation of Tk 36,356.45 crore while the CHT affairs ministry the lowest Tk 1.54 crore.

The Prime Minister’s Office got Tk 214.73 crore while the Cabinet Division Tk 59.88 crore, the Supreme Court Tk 3.39 crore, the Election Commission Secretariat Tk 298.58 crore, the Public Service Commission Tk 18.30 crore, the Economic Relations Division Tk 65.10 crore, the Planning Division Tk 379.55 crore, the IMED Tk 53.34 crore, the Statistics and information Management Division Tk 290.60 crore.

Besides, the defence ministry received Tk 454.90 crore, the Armed Forces Division Tk 92.58 crore, the Public Security Division Tk 294.12 crore, the social welfare ministry Tk 12.79 crore, the women and children affairs ministry Tk 39.98 crore, the labour and employment ministry Tk 53.96 crore, the housing and public works ministry Tk 842.99 crore, the religious affairs ministry Tk 527.42 crore, the Local Government Division Tk 2,808.31 crore, the industries ministry Tk 450.19 crore, the textile and jute ministry Tk 559.48 crore, the Energy and Mineral Resources Division Tk 494.57 crore, the water resources ministry Tk 837.14 crore, the disaster management and relief ministry Tk 1232.53 crore, and the shipping ministry Tk 73.27 crore.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net