Brahmaputra bridges\' cost to go up by 13pc

The government is set to raise the project cost by 13 per cent to over Tk 130 million for construction of two bridges over the River Brahmaputra in Jamalpur, officials said.
Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) under the Ministry of LGRD and Cooperatives sent a proposal for increasing the variation cost of the project to the cabinet division for getting approval from the cabinet committee on public purchase.
The purchase committee's meeting will take place in the last week of the current month.
As per the contract, the actual cost of the project was over Tk 997 million. The proposed variation cost is over Tk 130 million. Now the total project cost stands at over Tk 1.12 billion (including VAT and IT).  
River training and slope protection work have been cited as the reasons for the variation cost of the project, the official added.
Besides, parts of approach roads now remain in a dilapidated state, causing difficulties in using the bridges during the rainy season.  
The government will bear the cost of the project which was scheduled to be completed between August 2010 and August 2013.
After revising the development project proposal (DPP), the project tenure was extended until December 2016.  
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com