The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives on Sunday recommended taking security deposits from contractors as a three-year warranty to ensure the quality of rural road construction following directives from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

The recommendation came at the first meeting of the committee with committee chairman AKM Selim Reza Habib in the chair.

The committee also stressed strengthening the monitoring of construction work by ensuring that the officials concerned properly discharge their duties.

At the meeting, a presentation was made on the activities of the ministry and its subordinate departments and agencies.

The committee was also briefed on various activities undertaken by the ministry during the government’s first 180 days.

The committee recommended taking projects and effective measures to identify arsenic-affected areas across the country and ensure safe drinking water for the people living there.

It also recommended measures to intensify cleanliness campaigns and raise public awareness to control Aedes mosquitoes and prevent dengue.

The committee suggested that Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) supervise cleanliness drives in their respective areas and take necessary steps to improve public awareness.

Emphasising accountability in public service, the committee called on officials to perform their duties with honesty and sincerity, free from nepotism.

It also recommended introducing an online attendance system for officials at the upazila level to strengthen monitoring and accountability.

Besides, the committee recommended taking appropriate steps to investigate irregularities and corruption in unnecessary projects undertaken with domestic and foreign funding during the previous “fascist” government.