The workers of 12 tea gardens in Rajnagar upazila of Moulvibazar district have started getting their yearly government allowance finally after eight months following intervention of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The government had allocated Tk12.39 million for social security of 2,478 tea garden workers, Tk 5,000 per person, but disbursement of the money was deferred due to local political complexities.
ACC sources said on Saturday the local administration became helpless and the workers hostage to local politics though the money was supposed to be disbursed eight months ago.
Knowing the matter, ACC director general (admin) Muhammad Munir Chowdhury instructed an ACC enforcement team consisted of its Habiganj office's assistant director Ershad Miah and deputy assistant director Md Abdul Malek to go to the office of Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO).
Accordingly, the ACC team went to the UNO office on January 21 and told the UNO to disburse the money among its beneficiaries as soon as possible after identifying the obstacles towards the process.
Following the commission's directive, the UNO office collected a list of 1,733 beneficiaries from local public representatives and disbursed Tk 8,665,000 among them on January 24 in the first phase.
In the second phase, the rest 745 workers will get their yearly allowance within next week after opening of individual bank accounts.
Talking about the initiative, Mr Chowdhury, also the chief coordinator of the ACC enforcement unit, told the FE, "Withholding payable money of the tea workers is misuse of power and means of corruption."
Such acts are also violation of human rights and barrier to good governance, he said.
He also said the commission is committed to strengthening good governance and taking its benefit to the doorsteps of the citizens.
Besides, ACC DG praised the role of the local administration of Rajnagar upazila for responding to the ACC's call to solve the problem and secure the rights of tea workers.
