Of poor road conditions and soured mood

Eid means joy and celebration. Even the poorest of the poor Muslim tries with his/her very limited means to make the occasion joyous as far as possible.
One of the key parts of the Eid celebration is family reunion which necessitates homebound journey by millions living in cities and towns, particularly in the capital city of Dhaka.
But their happy mood gets soured instantly just by thinking of the sufferings they would have to endure during the homebound journey by road, railway and waterways. The journey by air is comfortable and far less time-consuming. But only a handful of people can afford that.
The people would start leaving Dhaka from tomorrow (Thursday) and their outflow would continue to bulge with every passing day until the Eid day. Among the would-be home-goers, those who will be using the road transports must be the most worried people. The media reports on the conditions of the national as well as regional highways have only intensified their worries. Many might even feel like skipping their homebound trip under the prevailing circumstances.  
Worries and criticism from all directions over poor road conditions must had also soured the happy mood of the communications ministers, past and present, on the occasion of Eids during the last couple of years. The situation remains the same this year too.
The incumbent minister, undoubtedly, has been trying to make the journey of the Eid-goers comfortable as far as possible, notwithstanding the built-in flaws in planning and management in the road sector. Nature is also against the incumbent minister like his immediate predecessor.
Following media reports on poor conditions of two major highways connecting Dhaka with Chittagong and Mymensingh, the communications minister promised to repair all roads by 20th of this month. He, however, has failed to keep his promise and many roads still need extensive repair. Besides, a substantial amount of money is being wasted in the name of repair. A moderate rain appears to be enough to send the freshly repaired roads back to their old state.
The unsavoury reports on road conditions have, seemingly, enraged an otherwise media-friendly communications minister. He has alleged that a section of media was misleading people by publishing old pictures highlighting the bad state of roads and highways.
If his allegation is true, then why is he shuttling between major highways and making promise to repair the roads within certain deadline? There should be no reason for the RHD to waste money on roads in good shape!
A report, published in the Financial Express last Tuesday, quoting some officials of the Roads and Highway Department (RHD) said homebound passengers would have to endure troubles on the roads during some more Eids in the future since the festivals would coincide with the rainy season.
Their fear may not be without any basis for they are the people in the know of things in the road sector.
Many tend to ask a very pertinent question -- Why should the minister be concerned and the RHD particularly interested to make the road journey comfortable on the eve of Eid festivals?  Millions of people use the same roads and highways and endure the sufferings everyday. Is it not the duty of all concerned to lessen their sufferings?
None would have to worry much about the road conditions even during rainy season if the government allocated enough resources for operations and maintenance (O&M) of the existing roads and highways and ensure their efficient use.  
The government, for decades, has been behaving miserly in the matters of allocating funds for repair and maintenance of existing roads. The government leaders are found to be more interested in taking up new road projects.
For instance, the RHD, reportedly, conducted a survey during the months between September and December last to know the conditions of national and regional highways. On the basis of the results of the survey, the department sought Tk.77 billion for repair of the highways. But it was given a paltry sum of Tk. 13 billion. The RHD officials might have demanded an inflated allocation. But that does not justify such an inadequate allocation.
The RHD is now implementing two major road projects---the Dhaka-Chittagong and the Dhaka-Mymensingh four-lane highways. The construction of the road projects is largely responsible for sufferings that the passengers of these two routes have to undergo.
The delay in the implementation of both the projects has only prolonged their sufferings. The reasons for the delay are many. The selection of wrong contractors is being listed as the prime reason. The delay has been taking a toll not only on the road users but also on the national exchequer. With delays go up the costs of projects, much to the delight of the contractors and officials concerned.
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