The government will have to spend eight times more than its yearly allocation to keep its road network fit for smooth traffic movement in the coming five years, a departmental survey report has said.
The report found nearly 45 per cent of its surveyed roads in worst condition.
The ministry concerned has, however, claimed significant improvement of the country's road condition due to its regular maintenance work during the last few years.
The survey of Roads and Highways Department (RHD) found that maintenance fund backlog of Tk 123.38 billion was created due to poor allocation against yearly demand during the period.
According to the Highway Development and Management (HDM) section, the RHD will need Tk 123.38 billion to conduct immediate maintenance work on 5,171 kilometre roads out of its surveyed 12,005.65 km roads.
It, however, calculated the requirement of Tk 196.51 billion to carry out total maintenance work for overall improvement of the country's road network.
If the allocation is given this year, the RHD's need for overall maintenance work will gradually be lower in the next five years till 2019-20, said an official involved with the HDM Report 2015-16.
He said till 2020, the RHD will need Tk 291.144 billion to make the entire 23,000 km RHD road network fit.
The HDM report found 3,778.30 km in 'poor' condition, followed by 1,158.37 km in 'bad' condition and 234.43 km in 'very bad' condition. Some 2,335.87 km and 4,498.68 km of national highway, regional and zila roads are in 'good' and 'fair' conditions respectively.
The RHD officials said conditions of regional and zila roads are worse than the national highways as the yearly maintenance allocation was hardly available for the roads having 'worst' condition due to comparatively less traffic and having less political influence.
According to the survey report, 60 per cent of the zila roads are in 'bad' to 'very bad' condition.
"We have got, on an average, 15 to 20 per cent allocation against the demand almost every year during the last five to six years. This has created the huge maintenance backlog," said an official involved with the HDM survey.
He said demand for maintenance allocation has long been increasing due to failure to carry out road maintenance work properly because of poor allocation.
The HDM officials said in most of the cases, it is found that the yearly maintenance allocation was hardly available for zila roads for having comparatively less traffic and less political influence.
They said uninterrupted and proper maintenance work of entire 23,000 km RHD road network has become urgent due to increase of traffic volume in all areas for increased transportation of agricultural products as well as connectivity with different regional corridors.
During the last few years, the government allotted Tk 11.35 billion to Tk 14.68 billion as maintenance allocation against the demand of around Tk 77 billion.
Sources said the HDM has already taken a move to place the demand of increased allocation to the government for road maintenance work.
They said the government could improve the situation by making the Road Fund functional, but it has to be made operational first.
The road fund was created in 2013 to deposit all the road-related taxes, fees and charges into the fund to carry out maintenance and repair works.
The HDM report showed that of the total demand of this year's allocation, Tk 3.01 billion has been planned to be spent for routine maintenance and Tk 35.75 billion for periodical maintenance.
Tk 31.31 billion and Tk 53.30 billion have been allocated to ease the backlog through partial reconstruction and full reconstruction.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
