RCC Finally Starts Road Project at Higher Cost
Offenders go unpunished
Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) has started the construction work of Fire Brigade-Nawdapara road without taking punitive measure against those involved in the irregularities that increased the project implementation cost by Tk 22.24 crore.
Following directives from the ministries of planning and the LGRD and cooperatives, the corporation last year investigated the issue of irregularity and found that the project was cancelled in 2006 after some Tk 6 crore of the project fund was illegally used for sectors other than the project during the tenure of former mayor Mizanur Rahman Minu.
The planning ministry in June 2009, however, approved the project again at a revised budget of Tk 47.84 crore against the previous Tk 25.60 crore on condition that the corporation will investigate and take action against the people involved in the irregularities before implementing the project.
The LGRD and cooperatives ministry also sent similar directive to the corporation, said the RCC officials.
But incumbent RCC Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton formally inaugurated the road construction work on March 9 without taking any action against the people responsible for the irregularities. The corporation gave the work order to construction firm Mir Akhtar Hossain Limited on February 3.
According to the officials, the project for constructing 4.89 km link road from Fire Brigade crossing to Nawdapara bypass was first approved in October 2004 at an estimated cost of Tk 25.60 crore.
The corporation got a fund of Tk 19.05 crore from the government in 2004-05 fiscal year to implement the project. Of the sanctioned money, Tk 9.14 crore was given to the district administration for acquiring land for the road and Tk 6 crore was spent on other projects in 2005-06.
As the project did not progress due to spending of allocated money on other sectors, the remaining Tk 3.91 crore of the sanctioned money was returned to the government and the project was cancelled.
The project was revived in 2008 after Mayor Liton assumed office.
"Rajshahi City Corporation sent reports to the ministries concerned, identifying former mayor Minu as responsible for the irregularity. The ministries are to take action as the funds, which were later illegally used, had been sanctioned by the government," Mayor Liton told this correspondent.
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