PDB poles disturb road expansion work
Commuters suffer in Panchagarh
Such electric poles just beside Panchagarh-Banglabandha road in Panchagarh town stand in the way of ongoing road expansion work as the Power Development Board has failed to remove and replace the old poles even after getting compensation money for the purpose.Photo: STAR
Commuters in Panchagarh town part of Panchagarh-Banglabandha road are facing untold sufferings due to awfully slow pace in the ongoing work for expansion and repair of the road. The situation has arisen as electric poles beside the road have not been removed and replaced even after Power Development Board (PDB) received compensation money for the purpose. Tk 1 crore and 73 lakh was paid to PDB as per their demand to remove and replace the electric poles alongside 53.12-kilometre Panchagarh-Banglabandha road in 2009-2010 fiscal year but the work is yet to start, said Abul Kalam Azad, project manager of Road Network Improvement and Maintenance Project-2 under Roads and Highways Department. On June 24 in 2008, construction firm Moniko Limited received work order for expansion and strengthening of the 53.12-kilometre road involving Tk 131 crore 8 lakh funded by Asian Development Bank and the work was supposed to be complete within June in 2011, office sources said. But start of the work was delayed due to the complications of land acquisition. Later the time-limit was extended to June 2012. During a visit to the area a couple of days ago, this correspondent saw the construction firm had started road expansion work on the road from LGED office to Sher-e-Bangla Park in Thakurgaon town but the work got hindered as most of the electric poles were not removed. Goods-laden trucks frequently plying such an under construction road are vulnerable to damage, said truck driver Badsha Mian. Rickshaw-van puller Motiar Rahman said the incomplete road adds to his labour. "The construction work on Panchagarh-Banglabandha road has been obstructed as the electric poles are yet to be removed. If the work does not continue uninterruptedly, it becomes difficult to maintain quality and the firm has to incur loss for delay in the work," said Biman Kanti, project manager of Monico Limited. When contacted, Executive Engineer of Thakurgaon Power Development Board Md Nurul Islam told this correspondent over cell phone, "Selection of the contractor for setting up new electric lines after removing the old poles was delayed. Finally the contractor has been given work order and the work has started." Contractor Sadequl Islam, who got the work order three weeks ago, said, "I received the work order but PDB has supplied only around 10% of the essential equipment for the purpose. And so, I cannot start the work in full swing." Requesting anonymity, a PDB official admitted lack of supply of essential materials for removal and replacement of the old electric poles and said authorities are yet to finalise allocation for electric wires which is essential for replacement of the old electric poles.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments