Joint venture co to monitor Dhaka-Ctg highway project
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
An India-Bangladesh joint venture company has been selected as consultant for the project to widen the Dhaka-Chittagong highway into a four-lane one, report agencies.
The Cabinet Committee for Government Purchase at a meeting Monday approved the appointment of the joint venture of Indian firm Consulting Engineering Services (CES) Ltd and the Bangladeshi Bev Consultants (BEVCON) as the consulting firm for the Tk 16.65 billion project.
The joint venture entity will be paid Tk 238.8 million by the Bangladeshi government for the consultancy, a cabinet division official said.
The Cabinet Committee also approved a number of proposals, including three proposals of the Agriculture Ministry to import a total of 275,000 tonnes of fertiliser and procurement of 211 jeeps for the chairmen of Upazila Parishads.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith presided over the meeting attended by senior Cabinet Ministers.
"The new appointment for Dhaka-Chittagong highway came as the previous one was cancelled," Nurul Karim, joint secretary of the cabinet division told a news agency Monday just after the meeting.
In June this year, the previously appointed consultant, NesPak of Pakistan, responsible for the monitoring of the project, stopped work all of a sudden when the government declined its demand for higher fees.
The Pakistani firm did not respond to several warnings from the government, leading to the agreement's cancellation and the new appointment.
The matter went to the High Court as NesPak filed a writ against the cancellation of the deal, which resulted in the imposition of a bar on the fresh appointments.
However, the stay order was vacated upon an appeal by the government to the higher court.
Upgrading of the two-lane highway connecting the capital with the port city was initiated in 2006, but successive governments failed to kick off the project.
On Jan 10 this year, the present government signed a deal with Chinese entity Sinohydro Corporation and local entities Reza Construction and Tahir Brothers Ltd for construction of the highway, apparently taking the project on a priority basis.
As per the approval, procurement of 100,000 tonnes of DAP fertiliser and 150,000 tonnes of TSP fertilizer from Tunisia and another 25,000 tonnes of DAP fertiliser from Morocco will be made.
The purchase committee also approved a Tk 875.6 million local government division project to procure 211 vehicles.
The state-owned Pragati Industries Ltd will supply the vehicles to the local government division, added Karim.
This procurement is the part of the total purchase of 471 jeeps. Earlier, 260 jeeps were procured by the same ministry under such a project.
The Chittagong WASA Karnafuli Water Supply Project, involving construction and renovation of reservoirs and water pumps, was also given a go ahead by the cabinet committee.
"Kolon Engineering & Construction Company of Korea has been selected as the implementing agency of the Tk 1.46 billion project," said the official of the cabinet division.
The Cabinet Committee for Government Purchase at a meeting Monday approved the appointment of the joint venture of Indian firm Consulting Engineering Services (CES) Ltd and the Bangladeshi Bev Consultants (BEVCON) as the consulting firm for the Tk 16.65 billion project.
The joint venture entity will be paid Tk 238.8 million by the Bangladeshi government for the consultancy, a cabinet division official said.
The Cabinet Committee also approved a number of proposals, including three proposals of the Agriculture Ministry to import a total of 275,000 tonnes of fertiliser and procurement of 211 jeeps for the chairmen of Upazila Parishads.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith presided over the meeting attended by senior Cabinet Ministers.
"The new appointment for Dhaka-Chittagong highway came as the previous one was cancelled," Nurul Karim, joint secretary of the cabinet division told a news agency Monday just after the meeting.
In June this year, the previously appointed consultant, NesPak of Pakistan, responsible for the monitoring of the project, stopped work all of a sudden when the government declined its demand for higher fees.
The Pakistani firm did not respond to several warnings from the government, leading to the agreement's cancellation and the new appointment.
The matter went to the High Court as NesPak filed a writ against the cancellation of the deal, which resulted in the imposition of a bar on the fresh appointments.
However, the stay order was vacated upon an appeal by the government to the higher court.
Upgrading of the two-lane highway connecting the capital with the port city was initiated in 2006, but successive governments failed to kick off the project.
On Jan 10 this year, the present government signed a deal with Chinese entity Sinohydro Corporation and local entities Reza Construction and Tahir Brothers Ltd for construction of the highway, apparently taking the project on a priority basis.
As per the approval, procurement of 100,000 tonnes of DAP fertiliser and 150,000 tonnes of TSP fertilizer from Tunisia and another 25,000 tonnes of DAP fertiliser from Morocco will be made.
The purchase committee also approved a Tk 875.6 million local government division project to procure 211 vehicles.
The state-owned Pragati Industries Ltd will supply the vehicles to the local government division, added Karim.
This procurement is the part of the total purchase of 471 jeeps. Earlier, 260 jeeps were procured by the same ministry under such a project.
The Chittagong WASA Karnafuli Water Supply Project, involving construction and renovation of reservoirs and water pumps, was also given a go ahead by the cabinet committee.
"Kolon Engineering & Construction Company of Korea has been selected as the implementing agency of the Tk 1.46 billion project," said the official of the cabinet division.