Dhaka, Sept 15 (UNB) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed Ministers to take fit action to break the syndicate of corrupt plutocrats spread down to the grassroots level as ruling-party lawmakers informed her about the nexus of evildoers.

She gave the order when Members of Parliament at a meeting of the Awami League Parliamentary Party (ALPP) Tuesday informed her about the syndicate’s activities to foil government’s development plans in the rural areas, journalists were told after the meeting.

“Launch investigation into the activities of the corrupt syndicate in the rural areas and take stern action against the guilty persons,”

Sheikh Hasina was quoted as saying by Chief Whip Vice-principal Abdus Shaheed at a post-meeting press briefing at the JS media centre.

Held in the treasury-bench conference room of Jatiya Sangsad with party-chief Sheikh Hasina in the chair, the meeting reviewed country’s latest political and socioeconomic situation.

Shaheed said the AL lawmakers apprised the Prime Minister that the syndicate comprising the MPs, chairmen and frontline government officials of the last BNP-Jamaat government’s times is still active and impeding the development programmes of the government.

“As a result, people cannot keep trust on the government activities, which is a serious problem in achieving the development targets,” Shaheed quoted one MP as telling the meeting.

The ruling-party MPs further demanded of the Prime Minister to allocate development funds creating a level playing field among all the constituencies.

In reply, the Prime Minister said the present government wouldn’t work on the basis of political geography like the past BNP-Jamaat coalition.

She made it clear that the Awami League-led government is committed to allocating development funds to the rural areas on the basis of real necessity of each of the constituencies.

“We want development of every area and all of the people,” Sheikh Hasina told her deputies.

As distribution of VGF card was also raised in the meeting, the Prime Minister asked the authorities concerned to be cent-percent active to ensure maximum welfare of the destitute.

The AL lawmakers further brought the matter of low price of paddy in the rural areas to the attention of the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister underscored the need for increasing procurement of rice by government in the future for more profit of the farmers.