No dev work if roads are occupied: Annisul

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Annisul Huq categorically said that if the land grabbers in an area do not leave the occupied spaces, the city authority will stop the developmental work there.

"In case of failure of a councilor clearing up roads, he/she will get no developmental allocation. And if the DNCC backs off, the progress will see a dead end," he warned. Addressing the illegal occupants of Gabtoli area, the mayor made the assertion yesterday while inaugurating a link road bridge. Annisul said: "We will build some 1300 roads with a cost of Tk 650 crores by next September. But I have told the engineering department officials and councilors that the areas with roads illegally occupied would see no developmental work."

"The construction work of a road in city's Mohammadpur is being delayed only for four illegal houses," citing the example, the mayor said: "If the councilor fails to evict the houses on occupied land, he will not get the new road."  Citing several developmental works, Annisul observed that the city dwellers would be mesmerized seeing the changes by one year next.

Focusing the idea of "strong DNCC family", he stated that some say the mayor achieved a lot which he does not agree with. "The mayor himself cannot make a huge difference if the DNCC councilors, staff and officials do not cooperate," he said.

Claiming the ruling Awami League the source of his power, DNCC mayor also hoped to implement the installment of LED lights and CCTV cameras by 2018.