Dhaka: Aimed at avoiding civil legal suites between two government bodies and settlement of any dispute through negotiation, the cabinet on Monday approved a proposal for a provision of constituting an inter-ministerial alternate dispute resolution (ADR) committee, reports local news agency.

The cabinet in its weekly meeting has given approval to the draft of the proposal initiated by the Cabinet Division. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting held at Bangladesh Secretariat.

Under the decision, a secretary level ‘Inter-ministerial Alternate Dispute Resolution Committee’ and an ‘Appeal Committee’ headed by a senior cabinet member would be constituted to resolve disputes between two ministries or government bodies.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, cabinet secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said the decision was aimed at taking necessary measures to avoid civil law suits among the government organizations against each other.

The initiatives were taken at the directives of the prime minister to avoid confrontation between two ministries and settle any disputes through negotiation, he said.

Under the law, the cabinet secretary said, the government bodies or ministries should go to the inter-ministerial committee first to resolve the dispute. If the committee is unable to resolve the dispute then it will go to the appeal committee headed by a senior minister. The cabinet committee will take the final decision in this regard.

The cabinet secretary said the inter-ministerial dispute resolution committee will have five members headed by the secretary (coordination) of the Cabinet Division. Secretary of the Law Ministry, a representative of the Prime Minister Office and secretaries or representatives of the ministries locked in dispute would be the members.

Joint Secretary (coordination) of the cabinet division would act as the member secretary of the committee. The committee can co-opt any other member or take expert opinion for settlement of the dispute.

The eight-member ‘appeal committee’ will be headed by a senior minister of the government. Law minister, ministers or state ministers of the ministries concerned, cabinet secretary, principal secretary or Prime Minister’s Secretary, secretaries of the ministries concerned will be the member of the committee. If necessary the committee can co-opt any other member, the cabinet secretary said.

The cabinet also has given final approval to the draft of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority Bill by reorganizing the previous Bangabandhu Bridge Act.