ECNEC allows RHD 9 years to finish the 652m bridge

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday extended time for a project for fifth time, allowing the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) nine years to complete a 652-metre bridge on the Nabaganga River in Narail.
The delay to complete the bridge will also cause spending of 81.23 per cent higher funds from the public-taxed money, said officials involved with the project.
The officials told the FE that faulty design of the bridge forced the government to extend the time and cost for its construction.
Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina expressed her dissatisfaction over change of the bridge's design in the middle of the project execution as well as its repeated time extension and cost escalation.
Planning Minister M A Mannan said the PM expressed her dissatisfaction in the ECNEC meeting, as two sections of the under-construction bridge have to be demolished due to low height and for smooth operations of engine boats and other water vessels.
She also stressed the need for conducting feasibility studies and framing development projects in a more integrated way to save unwanted wastage of public funds.
Presided over by the PM, the government's highest economic policy-making body approved the revision of the 'Construction of Kalia Bridge on the Nabaganga River at the 21st km on Narail-Kalia District Highway' project along with 16 others at a combine cost of Tk 129.51 billion.
"We have been forced to change the bridge design to increase its height for crossing of engine boats and other water vessels on the Nabaganga River," said a senior RHD official.
After the ECNEC meeting, the planning minister said the Kalia Bridge construction project is revised, extending its cost to Tk 1.36 billion from the original estimation of Tk 750 million.
The RHD took the Kalia Bridge project in January 2017 at a cost of Tk 750 million for completing by June 2019. The ECNEC revised the project for the first time, extending its execution deadline up to June 2020 and increasing cost to Tk 751.49 million. The government again extended the project deadline by one more year up to June 2021.
The state-run road developer failed repeatedly, which forced the government to extend the deadline for the third time up to June 2022. The authority concerned further allowed one more year up to June 2023 for completing the bridge at escalated cost.
The RHD placed the project before the ECNEC on Tuesday, changing the bridge design. The ECNEC also approved the revision, extending the project implementation time up to June 2025 and the cost to Tk 1.36 billion.
The ECNEC meeting on Tuesday endorsed 17 projects at a cost of Tk 129.51 billion, of which seven were revised and 10 were fresh ones.
Of the revised projects, the ECNEC endorsed revision of Construction of Kalia Bridge over River Nabaganga at the 21st km of Narail-Kalia district highway (2nd revised) at an additional cost of Tk 607.80 million, Land acquisition for constructing sewerage treatment plant in Uttara area (1st revised) at an additional cost of Tk 4.99 billion, Sonagazi 50MW (amended 75MW) solar power plant construction (1st revised) at an additional cost of Tk 1.18 billion, Modernisation and expansion of Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (1st revised) at an additional cost of Tk 881.3 million, Development project for government secondary schools (1st revised) at an additional cost of Tk 10.58 billion, Multipurpose disaster shelter centre (3rd revised) at a reduced cost of Tk 820 million, and Cluster Village - 2nd phase (Climate Victims Rehabilitation Project (4th revised) without increasing the cost.
The ECNEC-approved fresh projects were Procurement of CNG single-decker AC buses for BRTC at Tk 11.33 billion, Land acquisition and setting up Pubail-Dhirashram rail-link for constructing inland container depot (ICD) at Dhirashram project at a cost of Tk 34.03 billion, Land acquisition for constructing necessary infrastructure for enhancing facilities for visitors coming to the Mausoleum of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara in Gopalganj at Tk 663.1 million, Establishment of Chattogram Medical University (CMU) at Tk 18.59 billion, Establishment of Chandpur Medical College and Hospital and Nursing College at Tk 13.71 million, and Implementation of integrated water resources management to address water-logging at Tungipara and Kotalipara upazilas of Gopalganj at Tk 8.93 billion.
The meeting also extended the timeframe of two projects without raising their costs.
The ministers, state ministers and secretaries concerned along with the Planning Commission members attended the meeting.

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