Contractors stop govt project work

About 6,000 construction workers have become unemployed due to this, according to Md Azam, president of the Nilphamari Construction Workers Union.

The work suspension may create an unpleasant situation both for contractors and officials because funds may be returned if projects are not completed within the financial year, sources said.

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There are over 200 ongoing government development projects in the districts involving Tk 50 crore, sources said.

These are under the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Facilities Department, Public Works Department (PWD), Water Development Board (WDB), Roads and Highways, two pourasavas and the Zila Parishad.

But contractors of most of the projects have suspended work, claiming that they are incurring loss as the prices of rod and other iron materials are much more than those quoted in bids.

Contractor Shohel Parvez said he got over Tk one crore contracts from the Facilities Department for construction and repair of schools. But he stopped work due to exorbitant prices of rod and other iron-made construction materials.

Biswanath Chakraborty, manager of M/S Uttara Mills Limited, a big firm trading in rod and other iron materials, said per ton 8 mm MS rod now sells at Tk 38,000 against Tk 26,000 four months ago.

He said per ton 10 mm MS rod now sells at Tk 36,000 against Tk 24,000 and 16 mm rod at Tk 34,000 against Tk 22,000.

But Firoz Ahamed, president of Nilphamari Contractors Association, said the prices are much higher. He said the traders charge Tk 41,000 pet ton of 8 mm MS rod, Tk 38,000 for 10 mm rod and Tk 36,000 for 16 mm rod.

"In government tender schedules, we are given Tk 26,000 to Tk 30,000 per ton depending on the variety", he said.

"We lose Tk 14,000 to Tk 16,000 by using one ton of rod."

Its secretary Md Zakaria, said the association has given written representations to government departments to raise prices of MS rod in tender schedules. But nothing has been done.

When contacted, LGED Executive Engineer Shahadat Hossan also said contractors have stopped construction of bridges, culverts, Union Parishad complexes and other construction works under his department involving Tk 20 crore due to high price of MS rod.

Asked about raising prices of rod in tender schedules as demanded by contractors, he said he has nothing to do in this regard.