Rajuk likely to approve scrutiny body next week

Shamsul Huda | Published: April 01, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipokkho (Rajuk) is likely to approve a scrutinising committee next week to select consulting firms who have applied for getting registration.
The authority in a move plans to provide registration to some compliant consulting firms aiming to curb the present harassment in getting approval of building designs and drawings.
Under the move the existing thousands of freelance consulting firms will become "unemployed" but the Rajuk steps would be effective for maintaining safety and avoiding disasters in building construction, a section of the professional engineers said.
A Rajuk member said currently many people are bribing the officials and substandard and inappropriate designs are getting approval from the authority.
But if once only the Rajuk registered consulting firms prepare designs and drawings, they will adhere to the standards set by the authority, he said.
The registered consulting firms would work just like lawyers in the court, he said and added the registered firms would be guided by Rajuk in maintaining designs, drawings and other rules.
A committee has already been formed to select and scrutinise the consulting firms from the applicants.
The committee comprises of members from BUET, planners institution, architecture association, engineers' institutions and other related organisations.
The committee, after getting the authority's approval in the coming week, would start working in selecting eligible consulting firms and the selected consulting engineers' firms would get registration.
The Rajuk member said his authority would accept only the registered firms' designs and drawings.
A senior official engineer in the Public Works Department (PWD) said such a move by the Rajuk would create unemployment among the freelance and professional engineers.
He said the short listing from more than ten thousand consulting firms would create monopolistic business by some registered organisations.
He also said the engineers, who are certified as professional engineers (P. Eng.), can do any job of designing and drawing and he or she does not require any registration.
But the Rajuk move would limit the professional engineers' capacity and they would also be required to receive registration from the authority.
Another official in the state-owned authority said within a short time the committee would get approval for doing their jobs.
He said a section of people are opposing the registration move as they fear it would create monopoly by the registered firms and building design costs would increase. Currently building designs from any consulting firm can receive approval from the authority.
Several officials in the Rajuk said the existing situation created anomaly and in many cases substandard designs and plans were getting approval.
They said due to faulty designs many clients have to wait for a long time and need to move to different sections.
But under the new system the registered firms would primarily maintain the criteria in design and drawing set by Rajuk and it would be easier for the clients to get approval quickly and without hassles.