LGRD minister for evaluating rural development academies' effectiveness

Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives Minister Md Tajul Islam emphasised the need to evaluate the effectiveness of government-run rural development academies in Bangladesh and explore income generation avenues.

"We need to assess the academies' contribution to the development and identify ways to maximise their impact," the minister stated during a recent discussion with officials of the Rural Development Academies at Cirdap Auditorium in the capital on Sunday.

"What can be done to increase the academies' income should also be explored," he added. 

Representatives from Bangladesh Rural Development Academy (BARD), Rural Development Academy (RDA), Bangabandhu Poverty Alleviation and Rural Development Academy, and Sheikh Hasina Rural Development Academy in Jamalpur participated in the meeting.

He further questioned the academies' reliance on government funds, prompting emphasis on income-generating activities. 

BARD Director General Harun-or-Rashid Mollah presented a documentary about their activities, highlighting their Tk35 crore operating expenses in the last financial year and Tk32.68 crore budgeted for the current year.

"What do you do to earn money to support yourselves?" the minister inquired. "Are there any income-generating activities? How do rural development academies in other countries generate their income?" he questioned.

Bogura RDA then presented their efforts to encourage maize cultivation in the Char area. 

However, Minister Tajul Islam emphasised the importance of research and due diligence before implementing such initiatives.

"Have you done any research before taking this initiative?" he asked. "Is the corn being produced healthy or not? What are the results of the research you are doing?"

Officials of the participating organisations briefed the minister about their activities. Although the exchange meeting lasted for almost two hours, none of the representatives of any organisation could finish their presentation. 

However, sporadic discussions and unfinished presentations raised concerns about efficiency.

The minister directed the academies to collaborate for enhanced effectiveness. "We need to work towards making these academies more impactful contributors to national development. Officers should convene and define actionable steps to move forward," he concluded.