The budget for the country's priority Padma bridge project has been cut by a half in the current fiscal year as the government is unable to complete the tender process on the project's main construction work because of political instability and other technical reasons.
Sources said the Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA), the executing agency of the Tk 3.0 billion project, was going to seek Tk 37 billion at the mid level of the development budget against Tk 68.52 billion fixed for the project in the current fiscal year 2013-14.
As the authority would not get the scope to spend the most part of the budget, fixed for the main bridge construction and river training, it took the decision to cut the allocation by almost a half.
"We'll not be able to spend the maximum amount of the allotted fund as it would be hard to award the main bridge construction work and river training work by June," said an official preferring not to be named.
He said though the BBA started allotting mobilisation money for the approach road construction work on the Janjira side and paying bills for the same work, it would not need much funds for carrying out the mobilisation work for the remaining three jobs in the current FY.
The ministry of finance (MoF) fixed Tk 68.52 billion for the Padma Multi-purpose bridge project in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the current fiscal as sought by the BBA in view of importance of the project in the election year.
Of the total, Tk 35.48 billion has been fixed for the 6.15-kilometre bridge construction and Tk 20.83 billion for the river training work. Tk 3.90 billion has been kept for the Jajira approach road work.
Officials said the BBA might spend 15 per cent of the fund fixed for the Mawa approach road and service area work in the current fiscal year as the jobs involving Tk 880 million and Tk 1.0 billion respectively were already awarded.
BBA and project officials said the companies which bought bid documents on the main bridge construction work and river training work were seeking time to submit their tenders showing technical reasons. However, sources said they were buying time waiting for the present political situation in the country returning to normal and to be sure that the costly project would overcome all uncertainties.
The BBA has so far extended the deadline for two tenders-fourth time for the main bridge work and third time for the river training work. The project office said the latest extension of time for the tenders was caused by the opposition-enforced blockade programme as the foreign firms could not come to the country.
Sources said though the BBA cut all the funds from approach road, service area works, it however has to increase the budget fixed for the consultancy work.
The authority has kept a budget of Tk 60 million for the detailed design consultancy, which has to be increased to Tk 200 million.
Sources said as the tender for the main bridge and river training work was not completed, the spending for the consultants was increasing.
Padma Bridge budget halved for this fiscal
Munima Sultana | Published: December 22, 2013 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
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