SYLHET, May 13: The authorities have failed to complete the construction of eight food depots in Sunamganj district.
Negligence of the contractors and lack of supervision by the authority concerned are the main reasons behind this, sources said wishing anonymity.
Although the construction firm has been given time extension until June this year, there is a possibility that they would not be able to complete the work by the deadline, sources informed.
With a target to raising the district's food grain storage capacity, the Food Department started the project to construct the depots.
These include one each at Sachna Bazar of Jamalganj, Madhyanagar of Dharmapasha and Chhatak and Doarabazar upazila headquarters in addition to four others in Sunamganj Sadar.
The job was awarded to a construction firm of Dhaka at a cost of Tk 140 million. But they failed to even complete the works on any of the depots by the deadline which ended in December, 2018.
Then on prayer, they were given the extended time till June this year.
A number of locals including former union council chairman of Doarabazar Abdul Khaleque, also upazila Awami League joint secretary, said there is no possibility of completing the construction of the depot at Doarabazar since the job has long been remained suspended by the construction firm for reasons unknown.
Same is the situation at Madhyanagar, locals said.
An official at the Sunamganj district Food office said the present storage capacity is 19,900 tonnes for the district.
The new depots would have added 4000 tonnes of capacity. The contractor had been asked repeatedly for completing the job by the extended time ending June 30, the official said.
However, an official at the firm claimed that construction of four depots in Sunamganj Sadar is nearing completion while those at Sachnabazar and Chhatak would also be completed in a month.
But works on the depot at Madhyanagar would be delayed a little, he said, adding, the suspended work at Doarabazar would resume soon. He, however, could not assure about completing the construction works positively by the deadline.
