CHATTOGRAM, Oct 03: Construction work of the new Nagar Bhaban of Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) is set to begin within the current year after long 13 years of laying its foundation stone.
The 20-storey Nagar Bhaban (City Building) of the CCC has suffered delay in initiation of its construction work so far due to alleged dilly-dallying by the administration.
Consequently, the incumbent CCC mayor, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, and other officials have to perform their professional duties at the temporary office of the city corporation at Tiger Pass in the port city.
The CCC had taken up the project to construct the Nagar Bhaban in 2010 and the then Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury laid its foundation stone on March 11 that year.
Mohiuddin Chowdhury was not elected mayor in the next CCC polls and his immediate successor M Manjur Alam did not realise his (Mohiuddin Chowdhury's) 'dream project' of the new City Building.
During the tenure of Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin, the 44th general meeting of the CCC held on March 29, 2019 took the decision to construct the Nagar Bhaban at a cost of Tk 2022.6 million (Tk 202.26 crore).
Later, the authorities hit a snag with the construction work of the Nagar Bhaban due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic which eventually held back the project's progress.
Meanwhile, the old building of the CCC was dismantled in 2009.
Sources said the Ministry of Local Government approved the DPP of the project in November 2011.
Later the government took up the project for constructing the Nagar Bhaban building revising the budget of Tk 2,020 million (Tk 202 crore) up to Tk 2,290 million (Tk 229 crore).
But the CCC failed to get the allocation for the project from the government.
That is why the CCC took an initiative to construct the Nagar Bhaban building by using their own fund.
An official of the CCC said construction work of the City Building is a under megaproject which was stalled for the coronavirus outbreak and is yet to be started.
"We hope after completion of the construction work of the City Building, facilities for the city dwellers will be increased," he said, preferring anonymity.
Mayor of CCC Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said, "We will construct the Nagar Bhaban with our own fund. In the first phase, we will build three basements with an estimated cost of Tk 280 million (Tk 28 crore)."
"Meanwhile, a contractor firm named Taher Brothers Limited has been appointed for construction of the building," he added.
Sources said the 20-storiey Nagar Bhaban building will be constructed on 33,955 sft land.
Uninterrupted power supply in the new Nagar Baban and all types of modern facilities will be ensured.
The new infrastructure promises good environment for the staffs and councillors of the CCC.
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