The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has sought more than twofold increase in allocation for building a 30-kilomtre road in the country's north-eastern haor region, officials said Monday.
The department also requested for two more years up to June 2020 for completing the Itna-Mithamoin-Ostogram road project, beyond its scheduled tenure of three and a half years from January 2015 to June 2018.
The RHD recently sent a revised project proposal to the Planning Commission (PC), seeking an allocation of Tk 8.95 billion -- 104 per cent higher than the original cost of Tk 4.38 billion approved in February 2015.
Officials at the Planning Commission raised questions about the request for increased allocation and extension of the implementation period.
When asked, a RHD official said they had to change the design of the road that forced them to revise the project. "We need to acquire some more land, construct four more bridges in addition to 10 scheduled ones and some box-culverts to complete the project."
He said the RHD would not be able to complete the project within the stipulated time.
It needs some two more years to complete."
Due to its location in the haor region, the official said, the project authorities had to consider the water flow, agriculture, free-movement of fish, weather, traditional water transportation system etc. According to the RHD, they have already completed 65 per cent physical works of the project.
However, a PC official raised question about the capacity of the authorities, saying that if a project design is changed at the last moment of its scheduled tenure doubt is cost about the project's feasibility.
"We are strictly scrutinising the RHD request. If we do not see any valid ground for it, we will not endorse the revision," the official said.
[email protected]
