DHAKA: World Bank (WB) has asked to return a little amount of money of the ‘Avian Influenza Preparedness and Response’ project after bringing allegation ‘miss procurement’ in the project.

Department of Lives Stock is implementing the project.

The donor organization did raise no objection to the project works except the purchase of computers, which it said the terms and conditions were not followed.

A letter was sent to the department asking to give back a total of Tk 2.37 crores within the shortest possible time.

The authorities concerned, meanwhile, sent a letter to the Economic Relation Department (ERD) of the finance ministry mentioning details.

The letter reads: “According to the reports of the concerned ministry’s probe committee, though the computers, supplied to the project, are clones but these are satisfactory and standard in terms of specifications.”

An ERD official wishing anonymity told banglanews: “Letter has been received from the Department of Lives Stock. It mentioned that the WB has wanted the money back for irregularities in procuring the computers for the project.”

The official added: “We were told to make a compromise on this issue.”

WB financed some 96 percent of the project involving Tk 108 crore as a soft loan to the ministry concerned via the ERD while government funded remaining four percent only.

Denying the allegation of irregularities in the project, the Department director General Dr Mohammad Sahidul Islam told banglanews: “Due to violation of some rules and regulations, the WB has asked to refund the money immediately, which was spent in purchasing computers.”

He added: “WB follows its rules and we follow ours; according to the WB, it was a violation of rules in buying computers for the project but that was not wrong in the eyes of ours.”

Asked on how much money the WB asked to refund, Shahidul said, “They (WB) did not ask for more money, the amount is about Tk 2.37 crore.”

BDST: 1645 HRS, APR 15, 2014