Company decamps with Tk 26.7 crore of Road and Highways

R&H sources here said a Bagladeshi company was given work order on July 5, 2000 for reconstruction of 17-KM Dhawa-Ikri road in Vandaria upazila in Pirojpur district with an estimated cost of 26.4 core. The project was scheduled to be completed within 24 months.

The time was extended by 17 months but the work was not completed.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Despite unsatisfactory progress of work, the company was paid Tk 5.28 core and Tk 4.72 core in two installments by the RHD.

The company abandoned the work about years ago. The R & H cancelled the work order on November 18 this year but no action has been taken so far against the government officials responsible for the payments.

Only fifteen percent work was done, the sources said.

The company got another work order in June 2000 for reconstruction of the Gournadi Agailjhara-Poisharhat road at a cost of Tk 25.13 core.

The work was scheduled to be completed in 18 months. The time was extended by 18 months and the company was paid Tk 16.7 core but hardly 15 per cent work was done. Its work order was finally cancelled on November 18.

The two roads are being reconstructed under the Roads and Highways Department's RRMP-111 project funded by the World Bank.

Inordinate delay in completing the work has created immense sufferings to people of this region.

Meanwhile both site offices of company are closed and abandoned.

At its Gournadi site office a guard was available. He said none of the officials of the company came to office in the last three months. "They have fled away and I did not get my salary for three months".

The RHD sources said they have decided to realise the money paid to the company by selling its abandoned instruments and goods left at the site. Filing of a criminal case is also being contemplated.

But the gard the company's equipment and goods are being looted by sub-contractors who claim the company owes huge amounts to them.