Frustration grips allottees as Rajuk drags its feet
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Jubair Hasan
Inordinate delays by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) in executing its residential development projects have caused mounting frustrations among the allottees of its plots.
The city development authorities had initiated thirteen development projects including, among others, Uttara Model Town third phase, Purbachal New Town and Jhilmil Residential Area to help resolve the growing pressure for residential housing accommodation for nearly 15 million population of the capital city.
The authorities concerned have missed even the revised deadlines, on a number of times, to complete the ongoing projects mainly due to sluggish infrastructural and other related works.
The delays for executing infrastructure development activities have caused a great deal of concern to the allottees who consider the plots as 'golden deer'.
A plot allottee of Purbachal New Town Project expressed his frustration to the FE, saying that Rajuk was supposed to hand over his plot by 2011.
"But they (Rajuk) did not. I think they will not be able to hand it over even within the next five years if the construction works go on, at their current pace," he said.
Like him, most of the plot allottees sought immediate actions to bring about a dynamism for expediting the construction activities to help overcome all the obstacles.
Officials of the state-run developer said they need extension of time for completing all the development works as only 25 per cent of the required works have so far been completed.
"We have sought time extension for another three years as the earlier official schedule for completing the project will expire in 2012," a senior official of the Rajuk's largest project said.
Purbachal New Town Project is situated on 6150 acres of land in between the river Balu and the Sitalakhya, at a distance of 16 kilometers from zero point of Dhaka.
Admitting slow progress in construction works, the official said the development activities are being seriously hampered due to the spiraling price-hike of construction materials.
"This is the main reason for the slow progress of work," he said, adding that the construction of road network within the project site and also of a six-km-long entrance from the city's Kuril to the project area, is now on. A total of 23,028 plots under five sectors (1, 4, 5, 11 and 17) in Purbachal will be developed.
Initially, there were 15294 plots for the Purbachal project but the number has been increased twice (6000 and 1743) later.
The Rajuk authorities have so far managed to hand over only 2,000 plots to the allottees after eight years of construction works.
Under Uttara Model Town third phase project, the progress of infrastructure-related construction works is, however, slower than that of Purbachal. The Rajuk is about to miss the revised deadline -- the end of the current year -- for its completion.
The project was taken up for implementation before 2000, having provision initially for 6,640 plots there. Later on, the number of plots was increased to 8,295 under three and five katha allotment categories in three sectors -- 15, 16 and 17 -- in the northern part of the city.
Officials extended the project's completion period for the first time for three years in 2009 but again it failed to complete it within that deadline.
"We've already applied for further time extension for another two years as 25 per cent of the project areas (in sector-17) is yet to be brought under the coverage of construction activities," project director Firoz Ahmed told the FE.
He said the authorities cannot transport construction materials to the part located at Uludaho village for not having any roads for movement of heavy vehicles.
Sixty-five per cent of the construction works of the project has so far been completed, he said, while stating that the Rajuk authorities have handed over 90 per cent and 60 per cent of the plots to the allottees in sector-15 and sector-16 in Uttara respectively.
According to the statistics of Rajuk's estate department, 2578 ready plots have so far been delivered to the allottees in sector-15 and sector-16 of Uttara.
But the Rajuk could not start delivering plots (3500) under sector-17 in Uttara due to the slow-moving development activities, even seven years after the start of the construction activities there.
"We're now making a list of allottees of plots in the sector-17 and will start delivering those from the coming month (May)," the project director said.
A plot allottee of Uttara project said he, along with other allottees under sector-17, has long been hearing about Rajuk handing the plots to them from "next month" every time.
"But that 'next month' has not come during the last several years. It seems to me at times that it's not just a plot, it's a golden deer, which never comes," he added.
Unlucky applicants have alleged that the city development authority take too much time in returning the amount of security money, deposited with it while submitting the application forms to it.
"If we deposit the money with any commercial banks, we'll have some earnings in the form of interest payments on our deposits and the amount would have doubled before we get the refund from Rajuk," said an unsuccessful applicant who came to Rajuk to get back the refundable amount of his money on account of security deposit.
The applicant was talking to the FE on condition of anonymity.
Director (Estate-3) of Rajuk Syed Nazrul Islam said more than 90 per cent of the deposit on account of security money under Uttara Model Town third phase has been refunded to the unsuccessful applicants concerned.
He also turned down the allegation about hassle that is voiced strongly by the unsuccessful applicants, saying that money of only those who have not yet formally approached them for refund has not been paid back.
The Rajuk officials, however, could not give the exact figures about how much of security deposit is yet stuck up with them and also about the total amount of fund deposited by the allottees who are yet to got their final allotment letters.
There has so far been not much significant progress about release of the security deposit in Purbachal project, said an official of estate-3 department of Rajuk.
As many as 157,000 people applied for around 6,300 plots under Purbachal project and around 870 plots under Uttara project in 12 categories, about three years back.
Rajuk took a deposit of Tk 75,000 for a three-katha plot, Tk 100,000 for a five-katha, Tk 150,000 for a 7.5-katha and Tk 200,000 for a 10-katha, plot under the projects.
They also received $1,500 for a three-katha plot, $2,000 for a five-katha, $2,500 for a 7.5-katha and $3,500 for a 10-katha, plot from the non-resident Bangladeshi applicants.
Meanwhile, Rajuk is developing two more residential development projects -- Jhilmil Residential Area and Uttara Apartment Projects.
On April 11, 520 plots were allotted among the winners in Jhilmil Residential Area, after holding a lottery. The project is located in Keraniganj, a 1.50-km away from the capital city's Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge.
It has also sought applications for 6,600 flats in the first phase under the apartment project. The deadline for the application will end on April 30.
Under the scheme, some 22,000 flats of different sizes will be allotted among the applicants, belonging to middle and lower income groups. Each square feet of the flat will cost Tk 3500, Rajuk member (Estate) Akhter Hossain Bhuiyan said.
Rajuk completed Uttara Model Town (1st Phase) project in 1992 and allotted 6,000 plots of different measurements on a total of 950 acres of land.
Under the second phase in Uttara Model Town which was completed in 1998, it acquired 438 acres of land and allotted 5,315 plots.
The state-owned development authority will not invite further any application for plots due to land shortage as it is now taking projects to build apartments to provide housing facilities to a larger segment of the city's population.
Under the latest programme, Rajuk will construct multi-storied apartment buildings in Jhilmil, Purbachal, Kamrangirchar and Gulshan Residential Areas.
Inordinate delays by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) in executing its residential development projects have caused mounting frustrations among the allottees of its plots.
The city development authorities had initiated thirteen development projects including, among others, Uttara Model Town third phase, Purbachal New Town and Jhilmil Residential Area to help resolve the growing pressure for residential housing accommodation for nearly 15 million population of the capital city.
The authorities concerned have missed even the revised deadlines, on a number of times, to complete the ongoing projects mainly due to sluggish infrastructural and other related works.
The delays for executing infrastructure development activities have caused a great deal of concern to the allottees who consider the plots as 'golden deer'.
A plot allottee of Purbachal New Town Project expressed his frustration to the FE, saying that Rajuk was supposed to hand over his plot by 2011.
"But they (Rajuk) did not. I think they will not be able to hand it over even within the next five years if the construction works go on, at their current pace," he said.
Like him, most of the plot allottees sought immediate actions to bring about a dynamism for expediting the construction activities to help overcome all the obstacles.
Officials of the state-run developer said they need extension of time for completing all the development works as only 25 per cent of the required works have so far been completed.
"We have sought time extension for another three years as the earlier official schedule for completing the project will expire in 2012," a senior official of the Rajuk's largest project said.
Purbachal New Town Project is situated on 6150 acres of land in between the river Balu and the Sitalakhya, at a distance of 16 kilometers from zero point of Dhaka.
Admitting slow progress in construction works, the official said the development activities are being seriously hampered due to the spiraling price-hike of construction materials.
"This is the main reason for the slow progress of work," he said, adding that the construction of road network within the project site and also of a six-km-long entrance from the city's Kuril to the project area, is now on. A total of 23,028 plots under five sectors (1, 4, 5, 11 and 17) in Purbachal will be developed.
Initially, there were 15294 plots for the Purbachal project but the number has been increased twice (6000 and 1743) later.
The Rajuk authorities have so far managed to hand over only 2,000 plots to the allottees after eight years of construction works.
Under Uttara Model Town third phase project, the progress of infrastructure-related construction works is, however, slower than that of Purbachal. The Rajuk is about to miss the revised deadline -- the end of the current year -- for its completion.
The project was taken up for implementation before 2000, having provision initially for 6,640 plots there. Later on, the number of plots was increased to 8,295 under three and five katha allotment categories in three sectors -- 15, 16 and 17 -- in the northern part of the city.
Officials extended the project's completion period for the first time for three years in 2009 but again it failed to complete it within that deadline.
"We've already applied for further time extension for another two years as 25 per cent of the project areas (in sector-17) is yet to be brought under the coverage of construction activities," project director Firoz Ahmed told the FE.
He said the authorities cannot transport construction materials to the part located at Uludaho village for not having any roads for movement of heavy vehicles.
Sixty-five per cent of the construction works of the project has so far been completed, he said, while stating that the Rajuk authorities have handed over 90 per cent and 60 per cent of the plots to the allottees in sector-15 and sector-16 in Uttara respectively.
According to the statistics of Rajuk's estate department, 2578 ready plots have so far been delivered to the allottees in sector-15 and sector-16 of Uttara.
But the Rajuk could not start delivering plots (3500) under sector-17 in Uttara due to the slow-moving development activities, even seven years after the start of the construction activities there.
"We're now making a list of allottees of plots in the sector-17 and will start delivering those from the coming month (May)," the project director said.
A plot allottee of Uttara project said he, along with other allottees under sector-17, has long been hearing about Rajuk handing the plots to them from "next month" every time.
"But that 'next month' has not come during the last several years. It seems to me at times that it's not just a plot, it's a golden deer, which never comes," he added.
Unlucky applicants have alleged that the city development authority take too much time in returning the amount of security money, deposited with it while submitting the application forms to it.
"If we deposit the money with any commercial banks, we'll have some earnings in the form of interest payments on our deposits and the amount would have doubled before we get the refund from Rajuk," said an unsuccessful applicant who came to Rajuk to get back the refundable amount of his money on account of security deposit.
The applicant was talking to the FE on condition of anonymity.
Director (Estate-3) of Rajuk Syed Nazrul Islam said more than 90 per cent of the deposit on account of security money under Uttara Model Town third phase has been refunded to the unsuccessful applicants concerned.
He also turned down the allegation about hassle that is voiced strongly by the unsuccessful applicants, saying that money of only those who have not yet formally approached them for refund has not been paid back.
The Rajuk officials, however, could not give the exact figures about how much of security deposit is yet stuck up with them and also about the total amount of fund deposited by the allottees who are yet to got their final allotment letters.
There has so far been not much significant progress about release of the security deposit in Purbachal project, said an official of estate-3 department of Rajuk.
As many as 157,000 people applied for around 6,300 plots under Purbachal project and around 870 plots under Uttara project in 12 categories, about three years back.
Rajuk took a deposit of Tk 75,000 for a three-katha plot, Tk 100,000 for a five-katha, Tk 150,000 for a 7.5-katha and Tk 200,000 for a 10-katha, plot under the projects.
They also received $1,500 for a three-katha plot, $2,000 for a five-katha, $2,500 for a 7.5-katha and $3,500 for a 10-katha, plot from the non-resident Bangladeshi applicants.
Meanwhile, Rajuk is developing two more residential development projects -- Jhilmil Residential Area and Uttara Apartment Projects.
On April 11, 520 plots were allotted among the winners in Jhilmil Residential Area, after holding a lottery. The project is located in Keraniganj, a 1.50-km away from the capital city's Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge.
It has also sought applications for 6,600 flats in the first phase under the apartment project. The deadline for the application will end on April 30.
Under the scheme, some 22,000 flats of different sizes will be allotted among the applicants, belonging to middle and lower income groups. Each square feet of the flat will cost Tk 3500, Rajuk member (Estate) Akhter Hossain Bhuiyan said.
Rajuk completed Uttara Model Town (1st Phase) project in 1992 and allotted 6,000 plots of different measurements on a total of 950 acres of land.
Under the second phase in Uttara Model Town which was completed in 1998, it acquired 438 acres of land and allotted 5,315 plots.
The state-owned development authority will not invite further any application for plots due to land shortage as it is now taking projects to build apartments to provide housing facilities to a larger segment of the city's population.
Under the latest programme, Rajuk will construct multi-storied apartment buildings in Jhilmil, Purbachal, Kamrangirchar and Gulshan Residential Areas.