Padma Bridge progress comes under question

Execution progress on the Padma Bridge stands far behind the target that prompted the government to initiate reappraisal of performances of the mega-project's two foreign contractors, sources said.
They said the stocktaking move stemmed from concerns of the project authorities as half the project life is already spent up.
The Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project (PMBP) office has already informed the respective headquarters about the "unsatisfactory" performance of China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group Company Limited and Sinohydro Corporation Limited.
For their inability to meet respective targets of implementation, the sources said, the authorities also sent back some experts of the two companies.
According to the Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA), the project's overall progress until January was 40 per cent, with main bridge-construction work constituting 35 per cent and river training 28.5 per cent.
The percentage of works could reach 40 due to completion of 88 per cent of work on Jajira approach road and 100 per cent on Mawa approach road.
"Both the companies missed the monthly targets of implementation during the prime dry season this year," said one source familiar with the project affairs.
According to the government-set target of inaugurating the bridge by 2018, half of the project's works were supposed to be completed within two years of contract signing with the two companies.
It is learnt that the BBA has already held meeting with the president of China Major Bridge firm after calling him in Dhaka. A 12-member delegation is now in Dhaka for consultations with the project office and panel of experts.
Another meeting is set to be held on the project site today (Tuesday) between the panel of experts comprising Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, Alamgir Mujibul Haq and Ainun Nishat and project's high officials to find remedies.
Bridge Division Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam, however, terms the meeting a regular part of the project works to speed up the pace of implementation.
Admitting that the project office also held meeting with the head of the main bridge contractor, he told the FE: "The Padma bridge project is a highly technical project and they have been holding constantly meetings to ensure quality first and cost rationale and time second."
The secretary, also the executive director of BBA, claimed that the project progress was on track and problems once faced were overcome. Regarding the sendoff to experts of the two companies, project director Mohammad Shafiqul Islam said owing to mismatch of work experience between curriculum vitae and field work, they were sent back.
Sources said the river-training work has been hampered for inability to confirm the design by the Chinese company. It is alleged that the company has a lack of expertise according to the design and it has been pursuing the BBA for the change of design.
The Chinese company also wants to carry out the work after completion of the bridge-construction work, but the BBA didn't agree. China Major Bridge won the 6.15-kilometre main bridge- construction work with a cost of Tk 121.33 billion and launched the work in November 2014.
Sinohydro started work on December 31, 2014 after winning the 14km river-training work against its lowest offer of Tk 87.07 billion worth of contract.
smunima@yahoo.com