Public woes mount as Sholgatia bridge work stuck halfway
Thursday, 27 December 2012
KHULNA, Dec 26 (UNB): Construction work of the Sholgatia Bridge in Dumuria upazila remains stalled half-done much to the concern and inconvenience of the people whom it is meant for.
Only 50 per cent work of the much-hyped bridge project under the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has been completed in the last one decade.
The construction of the bridge on the Doulotpur-Chuknagar road via Sholgatia on the Hori River was started in 2003.
Eva Construction Ltd got the work order for construction of both the bridge involving Tk 7 crore and the Doulotpur-Chuknagar road via Sholgatia costing Tk 39 under the project Rural Road Maintenance Project (RRMP-3).
Work of the road was completed, though to a great extend carelessly; but construction of the bridge stalled in the midway.
In 2007, the RHD handed over the scheme to Local Government and Engineering Development (LGED).
The project was included in the 'Incomplete Bridge Completion Project' as LGED denied to complete it.
Later, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council allocated money for the project and the work was restarted on March, 2011 under the supervision of The Azad Engineers.
But the work was suspended later again and now remains totally stopped.
Abdul Hakim Sheikh, a representative of the company, said 50 per cent work of the project has been completed and they now hope that the rest work will be completed by July 2013, while it was supposed to be completed on December 31 as per the last schedule.
Construction work of the bridge is going on at a snail's pace and there were also some irregularities that affected the work greatly, local people alleged.
They also expressed their anger while talking to this correspondent as they had been suffering for long due to delay in the work.
With completion of the bridge work, the traffic network of Khulna and Jessore will be developed largely benefiting trade and commerce of the region.
Only 50 per cent work of the much-hyped bridge project under the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has been completed in the last one decade.
The construction of the bridge on the Doulotpur-Chuknagar road via Sholgatia on the Hori River was started in 2003.
Eva Construction Ltd got the work order for construction of both the bridge involving Tk 7 crore and the Doulotpur-Chuknagar road via Sholgatia costing Tk 39 under the project Rural Road Maintenance Project (RRMP-3).
Work of the road was completed, though to a great extend carelessly; but construction of the bridge stalled in the midway.
In 2007, the RHD handed over the scheme to Local Government and Engineering Development (LGED).
The project was included in the 'Incomplete Bridge Completion Project' as LGED denied to complete it.
Later, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council allocated money for the project and the work was restarted on March, 2011 under the supervision of The Azad Engineers.
But the work was suspended later again and now remains totally stopped.
Abdul Hakim Sheikh, a representative of the company, said 50 per cent work of the project has been completed and they now hope that the rest work will be completed by July 2013, while it was supposed to be completed on December 31 as per the last schedule.
Construction work of the bridge is going on at a snail's pace and there were also some irregularities that affected the work greatly, local people alleged.
They also expressed their anger while talking to this correspondent as they had been suffering for long due to delay in the work.
With completion of the bridge work, the traffic network of Khulna and Jessore will be developed largely benefiting trade and commerce of the region.