The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has proposed Tk 848.62 million funds only for consultancy services to construct a steel arch bridge over the Brahmaputra river in Mymensingh, according to officials concerned.
They have said the state road developer has also proposed purchasing 13 vehicles, including six of luxury category, and pickups for building the bridge at Kewatkhali.
The RHD has recently taken up a Tk 27.94 billion project for constructing a 320 metre-bridge with an 870m viaduct. The project proposal was sent to the Planning Commission for its approval.
The development project proposal (DPP) shows, the RHD would spend Tk 13.86 billion funds on the main bridge construction work while the remaining portion for other works, which are officially considered relevant.
However, the Planning Commission’s Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) has asked the RHD to rationalise the cost of the project, trimming unnecessary and less-important expenditures, officials concerned said.
An amount of Tk 19.31 billion of the project cost would be funded by the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) as loans.
An RHD official said the bridge construction is important to establish a smooth transportation system between Dhaka and the divisional city of Mymensingh.
The corridor through the Kewatkhali Bridge would also be used as the cross-border connection with India, the official added.
According to the DPP, the RHD has proposed Tk 811.62 million funds for supervision consultant, Tk 2.0 million for panel of experts and Tk 35 million for resettlement consultants (NGO services).
It would purchase two luxury (4-wheel-drive) jeeps, each of which will cost Tk 9.85 million, four double-cabin pickups, each at Tk 3.86 million, a microbus at Tk 3.2 million, and six motorbikes, each at Tk 0.2 million.
The road developer has also set aside Tk 17.74 million funds for purchasing fuel and lubricants, and registration of the proposed vehicles, to be procured.
A project insider said the RHD has proposed some spending on rest house and office buildings, purchasing computers, furniture, oil and lubricants, printing and bindings, telephone, and other utility service bills.
A commission official said they have scrutinised the project details.
"Some of the components at the DPP are irrelevant or less important. Those have pushed up the overall project cost," the official told The Financial Express requesting anonymity.
"We would not allow irrelevant costs or less important costs for the project as the government is struggling to generate revenues, amid the COVID 19 pandemic," the official added.
The RHD has been asked to rationalise the cost of the bridge project, a department official acknowledged.
Additional Chief Engineer of the RHD AK Md. Fazlul Karim told The FE that they were working on rationalising the overall costs.
The PEC has recommended the department cut the costs of consultancy, vehicle purchase and some other components of the project.
"As per the directive, we are recasting the DPP. After finalisation, we will send it again to the Planning Commission for the approval," he added.
The RHD has proposed to build the bridge by December 2024.
