The Paba upazila administration has returned Tk 1.80 crore of unspent funds allocated for the re-excavation of the Bairagir Canal in Rajshahi's Paba upazila to the government treasury.
The unspent amount is Tk 1,80,24,789, while the total allocation for the project was Tk 2,58,12,776.
The administration said the remaining work could not be completed within the scheduled timeframe due to heavy rainfall and rising water levels in the canal during the monsoon. Instead of spending the remaining allocation without carrying out the corresponding work, the authorities returned the money to the treasury.
Paba Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Ibnul Abedin confirmed the matter on Wednesday (August 12).
“Every taka allocated to a government project belongs to the people. Ensuring its proper use is our responsibility. There is no justification for spending money allocated for work that could not be carried out due to rainfall,” he said.
Around 1km excavated
According to the upazila administration, the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry allocated Tk 2,58,12,776 for re-excavating a 3.3-kilometre stretch of the Bairagir Canal, from Jaliler Bhata to Foliya Beel in Parila Union.
The project also includes improving the canal's drainage capacity.
Since the work began, around one kilometre of the planned 3.3-kilometre stretch has been re-excavated, according to officials.
As a result, Tk 77,87,987 has been spent, while Tk 1,80,24,789 remained unspent and was returned to the government treasury through the prescribed process.
The unspent amount accounts for nearly 70 percent of the total allocation.
Paba Upazila Project Implementation Officer Md Mahmudul Islam said, “Tk 2,58,12,776 was allocated for re-excavating the 3.3-kilometre canal. Due to excessive rainfall, around one kilometre of the canal could be excavated. As the work could not progress further, Tk 1,80,24,789 remained unspent and was deposited back into the government treasury following the prescribed procedure.”
Work halted by monsoon
Project officials said the presence of water in the canal during the monsoon made it difficult to continue excavation along the remaining stretch.
They said work on the remaining portion would be taken up when weather and site conditions become suitable.
Local residents said the re-excavation of around one kilometre of the canal has already improved water drainage to some extent. They hope that completing the remaining work will further reduce waterlogging and improve drainage from agricultural land.
Focus on restoring canals
Canals have traditionally played an important role in rural water management, agriculture, fisheries and the local economy. Over the years, many canals have lost their capacity due to siltation, encroachment and lack of maintenance, contributing to waterlogging during the monsoon and water shortages during the dry season.
The government has undertaken canal re-excavation projects in different parts of the country to improve drainage, irrigation and water retention capacity.
However, officials and experts say ensuring the quality of excavation, accurately measuring the length of work completed, properly accounting for excavated soil and maintaining financial transparency are equally important alongside allocating funds.
In the Paba project, the decision to return the unspent amount has highlighted the importance of financial discipline and accountability in public projects.
The key question now is when and at what cost the remaining 2.3 kilometres of the canal will be re-excavated.
