JICA mission due anytime to negotiate metro rail loan

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Munima Sultana The government expects an appraisal mission of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) anytime to negotiate for a Japanese soft loan for the US$ 2.76 billion metro rail project, officials said. The Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB) started necessary preparatory works for negotiation on the loan for the project, first of its kind in the city, considering the speech of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the last Parliament session as the consent of the government at its highest level, to finalising its route, they added. The officials said the board also sent a letter to the JICA last month, confirming that the mass rapid transit line-6 (MRT line-6) would be crossing Khamarbari, instead of Bijoy Sarani which was initially planned. "We still have many works to complete before the start of the negotiation on the loan," said DTCB Executive Director SM Salauddin. He said MRT being the country's first mass transport project, the board is now working on an early enactment of a piece of legislation -- the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority Act - by the parliament to operate the mass transport arrangements in an ever-expanding capital city. After the issue relating to change of the route of 21.5-kilometre metro rail project had emerged out of objection raised by the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF), the JICA wanted confirmation about clearance of the changed route by the parliament. Following a joint meeting in October last, the Prime Minister supported the demanded of the BAF and made a speech in parliament, suggesting the change of its route through Chandrima Udyan to Farmgate via Khamarbari. The DTCB officials said since the JICA has made no objection to the change about the route, they expect cooperation from the Japanese lending agency soon in getting a major portion of the loan for it. When asked, an official confirmed that the JICA is yet to give any reply to the DTCB's letter. No comment from the JICA Dhaka office could, however, be received by this correspondent, despite several attempts. The last JICA fact-finding mission informed the government about the imperative for finalising some of the issues of the MRT-6 project, including its route and depot, by September,2011 in order to include it as one of the JICA-funded projects in the Japanese current fiscal year. Due to the prolonged indecisiveness on the part of different agencies or bodies of the government on the issues of both route finalisation and depot site selection, the ministry of communications sought an extra one month's time - that of October, 2011 -- to confirm the metro rail route. However, the depot site selection has not yet been confirmed. The DTCB officials said they are now working on the site selection with Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (RAJUK) as it is now being proposed to be located at Uttara, shifting it from earlier proposed site at Pallabi. "We are now inspecting the depot site to finalise the area with the help of RAJUK as its commitment about making eight hectares of land available for the depot, is not enough for the purpose," said another official preferring not to be named. A JICA study team confirmed the MRT line-6 from Pallabi to Motijheel in July, providing two options for crossing the Farmgate area - one in front of Bijoy Sarani as the first choice and the other, in front of Khamarbarithe. The experts including the members of the steering committee rejected the second option of the study on the ground of its being "in conflict" with the MRT line, in tandem with the ramp of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway and also because of the need for acquisition of more lands. The issue has turned somewhat more complicated after the BAF objected to the first choice about crossing Bijoy Sarani on the ground of possible damage to air tunnel of the Tejgaon airport. The BAF proposed to divert the route, taking a portion of land of the Parliament building courtyard to avoid all kinds of conflict. With the experts strongly rejecting the claim of the BAF chief, the issue was then placed before Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for a solution. She gave consent to the demand of the members of the Armed Forces. That consent later triggered some ire among the environmentalists and architects as it is, according to them, likely to damage the architectural characteristics of the parliament area. Though the officials of the ministry of communications and its implementing agency said the Prime Minister's recent statement to the parliament was an endorsement of the changed route, the JICA, according to some competent sources, would like to get an official letter, in clear terms, to this effect from the authorities concerned.