Mayor of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) AJM Nasir Uddin on Saturday said the entire ministry is not responsible for any official taking bribes for allocating funds for the city corporation.“I didn’t make any allegation against the ministry. I didn’t blame the whole ministry. The entire ministry isn’t responsible for any official,” he said responding to a question while talking to reporters after a programme at Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).
Earlier, the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives sought explanation from the CCC Mayor over his comments that the ministry officials seek bribes for allocating funds for the city corporation.
The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development (LGRD) and Cooperatives sent a letter, signed by its additional secretary Jyotirmoy Datta, to the CCC Mayor in this connection on Thursday.
The ministry requested the CCC mayor to submit his explanation before it within seven days.
Various newspapers carried reports on Thursday last about the mayor’s statement at a programme at the Chittagong Theater Institute auditorium on August 10.
In the programme, AJM Nasir Uddin claimed that senior officials of the ministry seek bribes for project approval and fund allocation.
A joint secretary-level official of the ministry demanded a Pajero jeep from him as bribe, he added.
AJM Nasir also mentioned that if he had given five percent commission of the fund allocated for the corporation, he would have received Tk 300 crore allocation for the city corporation instead of Tk 80 crore.
