Roadside Drain in Thakurgaon
Townspeople suffer badly for awfully slow pace of work
Haphazardly kept materials, meant for construction of a roadside drain, occupy much of North Circular Road at Thakurgaon, causing immense problem for commuters and pedestrians on the busy thoroughfare in the heart of the town. Photo: STAR
The townspeople are badly suffering as vehicular movement is badly hampered due to awfully slow pace in the ongoing work for roadside drain construction on North Circular Road in the heart of the town. The road is the main way to go to the offices of deputy commissioner, superintendent of police, Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court, District Post Office, main branch of Sonali Bank, Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank, National Bank, District Treasury Office, River View High School and Collectorate High School and different business establishments including cloth and readymade garment markets. On June 25 this year, contractor Ainul Haque received work order for construction of the 660-metre roadside drain from Thakurgaon Intersection to River View High School in the town involving Tk 66.40-lakh. The work under Second Urban Government and Infrastructural Improvement Development Project was supposed to be complete within August 9 this year, office sources said. Thakurgaon municipality is implementing the construction work that started early July but it was suspended on July 15 as 4/5 shop owners declined to remove portions of their business establishments from lands that were acquired earlier for the road. The work restarted in the first week of September after a negotiation between municipal authority and said shop owners but the pace of the work is yet to get momentum. Sohrab Hossain, owner of Pakiza Cloth Shop on North Circular Road, said their sale decreased as haphazardly kept construction materials have made people's movement on the road hard. Sakhawat Hossain, general secretary of Thakurgaon Babosayee Samity, said their business is being affected due to the slow pace of the work. Thakurgaon municipality Mayor SMA Moin said, "The work was obstructed first as the shop owners did not cooperate when the municipality council wanted to recover some occupied portion of the road land from their possession. We have given repeated reminder to the contractor to finish the work early." Contacted over cell phone, contractor Ainul Haque said, "We are already under risk of loss as the work was delayed. Now it will take more time to finish the work." "We have sent a letter to the project authority for extension of time-limit of the work but it is yet to be approved," said supervisor of the work, Sub-Assistant Engineer of Thakurgaon municipality Nazrul Islam.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments