Executing agencies seek extension in time, cost

The project-executing agencies concerned have sought two more years to complete building the country's first dedicated bus rapid transit (BRT) line, officials said on Tuesday.

If the time extension is allowed, it will take eight years to construct the 20.5-kilometre BRT line from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) to Gazipur.

Only 19.67 per cent of the BRT project was implemented during the last six years (until May 2018), according to the official data.

The agencies have also sought an increased amount of funds for completing the BRT line due to failure in timely execution of the project, the officials also said.

The Roads and Highways Department (RHD), the Bridges Division and the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) have recently sought revision of the project cost by 109 per cent to Tk 42.65 billion.

Project Director Md Sanaul Haque said the agencies needed the fund revision, as the land acquisition cost for the project has increased manifold.

"We prepared the Development Project Proposal (DPP) based on the rates of 2012. Now the prices of construction materials and labour cost have increased."

"Besides, some changes in different components of the project have taken place, escalating its overall cost," he added.

The government approved the BRT project in 2012 at a cost of Tk 20.40 billion with a plan to implement it from December 2012 to December 2016.

The agencies concerned got revision of the project for the first time in 2015, keeping its cost and time the same.

Then, they rearranged the costs of different components of the project, and also brought some changes to the design in the DPP.

However, when the agencies failed to complete the project in time, the government extended the deadline up to December 2018.

But this time, the RHD, the Bridges Division and the LGED have sought doubling of the cost and increase in the execution deadline up to June 2020.

The Planning Commission is now scrutinising the revised DPP, said a senior official.

It will be placed before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for getting approval, if the commission finds it necessary, he added.

In 2012, the government took the BRT project to construct the dedicated bus service line from the HSIA to Gazipur to ensure smooth transportation between the capital and its outskirt city.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is financing the lion's share of the project.

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