Management disarray misdirects Dhaka-Ctg four-lane highway

Long eight years have elapsed since the start of Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane project and the latest timeline for completion of works is destined to fail for management disarray, sources concerned said.      
Half the time -- four years, to be specific -- has gone to waste for dilemmas and chaotic changes to the project management.            
Up till now, the highway-widening work could progress halfway through because of the troubles concerning the government's high-priority project for building the corridor between the capital and the port city for faster business delivery.
Critics say the predicament of Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane project could be an instance of how dilemmas imperil implementation of majority development projects in the country.
According to the latest report, 56 percent physical progress of the 192.3-kilometre four-lane work had been completed till August.
As per the second revision, the works are to be completed by December this year. Officials and observers both take it with a grain of salt.
There was poor progress at three points of the corridor, according to a report. It shows progress in 2, 3 and 5 packages was 20, 25 and 20 per cent respectively. This means earth-filling work is yet to be completed in around 30-km stretch. The bitumen work of only 70 kms has been completed.
Officials involved with the project in different times attributed the delays in implementation to alleged mismanagement, political interference, inadequate budget allocation, lack of control over a foreign contractor, and the disowning of the project.
They say despite the project being a priority one, it has gone through cancellation of tender process twice and change of project directors 11 times.
And the disarray led to loss of four years.
Because of the project going through revisions twice the cost was overrun by Tk 1.0 billion.
The Roads and Highways Department (RHD), the implementing agency of the Tk 32 billion Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane project, cancelled the first tender in 2006.
Sources said the cancellation was linked with the influence of a powerful local contractor which brought allegation of exaggerated information on the requirement of earth in the tender.  
The second tender was cancelled on allegation of possible syndication by local companies as nine out of 10 short-listed firms got 192.3-km works.
Sources said it was linked with a complaint lodged by a local company of violation of the public procurement rules (PPR) as the RHD gave a week's time to submit performance guarantee against the PPR's provision of highest 28 days. Interestingly, the company did not participate in that tender.
Though the then communications minister had invited the tender for third time on grounds of ensuring fair competition between local and international companies, majority works were, however, given to a Chinese company, Sino Hydro.
The entire 192.3km Dhaka-Chittagong Highway works have been divided into 10 packages. Seven of the packages were awarded to the Chinese company and the rest to two local companies in 2010.
Present and former project directors opined that the selection of the companies in the second tender was better as nine out of the 11 short-listed ones, including some foreign firms, were responsive and they were less politically influenced.
Officials engaged in the project said for lack of proper study and assessment in the tender document, the contractors face problem in completing the earth-filling work and timely procurement of different equipment.
The Chinese company's claim of lack of funds cannot be the reason for suspending its works as Sino Hydro is the 100 percent Chinese government-owned company, said one PD.
"Costs of all the procurement materials like sand, stones, bitumen have at least doubled from the quoted rates when the Chinese company started procuring and that caused it to face huge loss," he told the FE.
He said the Chinese company quoted Tk 150 for per-cubic metre of earth but had to buy it for around Tk 300 whereas it had to spend almost multiple to buy bitumen per tones.
Another PD also blamed lack of vision on part of the Planning Commission as, on different excuses, it cut budget for different items of the project work.

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