Whenever something is labeled as government-owned, it often gives the impression that it has no owner and no accountability. Perhaps this is why the saying "Government property, tossed into the river" has become so common.
Irregularities, corruption, looting, and wastage in government work are nothing new. There are countless examples of such irregularities at every level of government work or procurement. However, replacing coal, which is supposed to be raw material for a power plant, with soil is something never heard of! what kind of fraud is this?
Previously, we have encountered instances of goods being imported under false declarations, with one product substituted for another, along with frequent cases of smuggling, tax evasion, customs duty fraud, and money laundering.
This time, however, the issue involves a government project: at the 1,200 MW Matarbari power plant, coal imported from Indonesia was found mixed with soil, raising serious concerns.
The contract for the project was given to an Indian company. During the unloading of a shipment of nearly 63,000 tons of coal, a substantial amount of soil was discovered mixed in with it. As a result, the unloading process was halted, and the vessel was redirected to the outer anchorage of Chittagong Port by Coal Power Generation Company Limited (CPGCL).
On March 17, the Singapore-flagged vessel "MV Orient Orchid" entered the Matarbari Port channel. The coal delivered by the company contained an alarming amount of soil, making it unsuitable for power generation.
This is truly alarming! How can electricity be generated from coal mixed with soil? The relevant authorities have halted the unloading and are now determining the next steps.
Our point is, how such a large-scale fraud occurred in a government-run power project, and a thorough investigation is necessary. Was there any prior evaluation of the contractors' image and past experience before their selection? Is there any profit-driven syndicate involved behind this? A comprehensive probe into these matters is crucial.
The Matarbari Power Project authorities, along with Customs and Port authorities, should work together to identify the individuals or groups behind this fraudulent act.
If such fraud and wastage occur in the coal meant for this power plant funded by taxpayers' money, it is the general public who will ultimately bear the consequences.
This situation is absolutely unacceptable. The government must take strict action in this regard. Moreover, those involved should be brought to justice, and appropriate compensation must be recovered from them.
Bd-Pratidin English/ARK
