5-year project now to take 10 years to complete

Although the government has from time-to-time laid emphasis on the timely completion of projects, the agriculture ministry will seek a third extension for one on fruit production, taking the completion time to 10 years from an initial five years.

In its latest proposal, the ministry has sought an additional Tk 211 crore for the "Year-Round Production of Nutritious and High Value Fruits" project, which will take the total cost to Tk 671 crore.

The authorities have even proposed including some new components, according to planning commission documents.

One of them is to look after a 36-acre mango orchard situated in historic Mujibnagar Amrakanan in Meherpur.

Moreover, three new horticulture centres have been proposed to be set up in Gaibandha, Kustia and Jashore while another in Khagrachhari is set to be expanded.

The proposals are scheduled to be placed before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council for approval today.

The Tk 195 crore project was undertaken in July 2015 and supposed to be implemented by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) by June 2020.

In the first revision, it was extended by one year while the budget was increased by 53 per cent, taking the overall cost to Tk 299 crore.

It was revised for a second time, with the cost raised to Tk 460 crore and tenure extended by another two years, meaning by June 2023.

The project was initially taken to train 4.76 lakh farmers, increase production and subsequently reduce fruit imports.

Currently, Bangladesh meets about 60 per cent of its demand for fruits through imports at an annual cost of around $300 million.

The project also focuses on production of high yielding exotic fruits for export, according to the DAE.

Asked about the time overruns, Md Mehedi Masood, the project director, said the project sought the extra time and budget only for additional components.

Moreover, delays for the pandemic and in land acquisition also hampered the progress of the project, he said.

"We have already completed 91 per cent of our project and already set up 10 horticulture centres across the country," said Masood, also the deputy director of the DAE's horticulture wing.

Contacted, AKM Fazlul Haque, secretary to the agriculture, water resources and rural institutions division of the planning commission, said they received positive feedbacks during the initial implementation phases.

Asked about the time overruns, Haque said on getting the revision proposals, they have scrutinised the project and trimmed the proposed cost and asked to complete the project by June 2025.

"The DAE had sought around Tk 255 crore with some additional components. But we have subtracted some components and reduced its cost by Tk 44 crore," he said.