Tk 10b addl funds sought to complete some large projects

The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges has sought an additional Tk 10 billion funds in the next fiscal's development budget to complete some large projects including Dhaka-Chittagong 4-lane highway project, officials said Friday.
Minister Obaidul Quader has recently sent a letter to Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal requesting him for providing the extra funds.
The Road Transport and Highways Division under his ministry has received Tk 46.75 billion funds in the next year's Annual Development Programme (ADP).
"We sought Tk 61.82 billion funds for the ongoing 100 development projects under the Road Transport and Highways Division in the next year's ADP; but received Tk 46.75 billion," the Road Transport and Bridges minister said in his letter.
The Road Transport and Highways Division alone has a demand of an additional Tk 15.07 billion for implementing some important projects which are scheduled to be completed by the next FY (2016), he added.
The important projects including the Dhaka-Chittagong 4-lane highway, Joydevpur-Mymensingh 4-lane highway, and the road maintenance works at 10 zones across the country (waiting for approval) are scheduled to be completed within the next FY, ministry officials said.
A road transport and bridges ministry official said although the Tk 31.90 billion Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane road improvement project is scheduled to be completed by December this year, they might apply for extending the execution deadline until June 2016.
According to the ministry, the project implementing agency-Roads and Highways Department (RHD) -- has finished 63.57 per cent of the four-lane project till April 2015.
Obaidul Quader in his letter further said nearly 44 ongoing projects would be completed within the next FY which also require adequate funds.
"Some 12 fresh projects had already been approved during the current FY. Out of the fresh projects, two important ones-the Itna-Mithamoin-Ostogram road construction and the Sylhet Airport bypass intersection-Lalbagh-Salutikor-Companyganj-Bholaganj road - would require Tk 1.60 billion funds in the next FY."
So, the Planning Commission (PC) should allocate at least Tk 10 billion additional funds with the allocations in the next year's ADP for the development of the Bangladesh's transport sector, the minister said. Of the government's Tk 970 billion ADP for the next fiscal budget the transport sector has received nearly 21 per cent or Tk 195 billion outlay.A senior Planning Commission official told the FE that they were scrutinising the minister's request for additional funds.

"Since the Prime Minister has allocated an additional Tk 45 billion funds in addition to the PC recommended Tk 925 billion ADP for the next FY, we are hopeful of giving some additional allocations for the RHD," he added.
The National Economic Council, headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on May 19, approved a Tk 970 billion ADP, which was Tk 45 billion higher than the Planning Commission recommended Tk 925 billion ADP.
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