Rajshahi road construction stops for want of fund
Awfully damaged 1.2 kilometre road from Shaheb Bazar to Gouhanga in Rajshahi city poses much trouble to commuters as work for renovation of the road, earlier scheduled to complete last year, has remained suspended for months. The photo was taken from Alakar Moar a few days ago.Photo: STAR
Construction work of the road, replacing the old and narrow one from Shaheb Bazar to Gourhanga in Rajshahi city, has remained stalled for four months due to fund crisis following increase in the estimated project expenditure by Tk 20 crore. As per the original plan, Rajshahi Development Authority (RDA) was to start the project for constructing the 1.2-km-long and 18.28-metre-wide straight road in 2007 and complete it within 2011. RDA Executive Engineer Abul Kalam Azad said the budget for the project was increased due to increase in the prices of land and consequent compensations for land and homesteads under acquisition. "The project expenditure was initially assessed to be Tk 25 crore in 2007. It included Tk 16 crore for compensations for land acquisition and Tk 9 crore for construction works. Following land price increase, the project cost was revised at Tk 45 crore in March 2009 as the reassessed expenditure on land acquisition stood at Tk 36 crore," said RDA Executive Engineer Abul Kalam Azad. He, however, said the budget for the actual road construction work remained the same -- Tk 9 crore, with which the RDA will construct the road, build drainage system and footpath and shift underground water lines and routes of telephone and electricity. Following release of Tk 23 crore funds for the project, the RDA earlier started work for land acquisition for the project. They also began earth work for implementing the project in November 2011 but the work was suspended the next month as the fund for the increased project cost was not released. "With the release of Tk 23 crore, RDA had Tk 7 crore for construction work under the project after deducting Tk 16 crore meant for land acquisition according to the initial assessment. But as per the revised budget for the project, RDA now has no fund for implementing the project," said Azad. He, however, hoped that the government will release the funds in coming June and the work on 'most crucial' portion of the project area will be completed by this year. Meanwhile, the unfinished road adjoining New Market, Chamber Bhaban and several banks, as well as the greater road leading to the court and a hospital to the west and railway station and bus stand to the east remains a nuisance for thousands of commuters.
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