'Extend CHT road project period'
Only half of Tk 4,510cr will be utilised till March next year
Construction of this bridge on Jhagrabil-Rangamati road is postponed due to rise in the water level of Kaptai Lake. Photo: STAR
Development initiatives in the Chittagong Hill Tracts assume bright prospect as construction work of ten vital roads linking different upazilas in three hill districts of Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari are going on in full swing. Supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Chittagong Hill Tracts Rural Development Project (CHTRDP) under the Upgrading and Rehabilitation of Rural Infrastructures (URRI) programme, however, cannot be completed when the project tenure ends in March 2008. Construction of two of the ten roads has already been completed and two other roads are nearing completion while Tk 1863.35 have so far been spent, Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) sources said. Supported by ADB, the Tk 4510.61 crore project is the largest one launched in the CHT since independence. If the ADB does not extend the stipulated time, full implementation of the ongoing CHTRDP project will not be possible and the government will have to return about half of the loan amount that was borrowed from the ADB, sources said. The development of communication in the CHT region will benefit people of different remote and backward hilly areas as people can easily carry their agricultural products to upazila headquarters and district towns for sale while school-going children can use the roads to go to educational institutions. Completion of the project will also help to develop tourism in CHT. The eight-year-long (2001-2008) CHTRDP project was launched in the financial year of 2001-2002 but it tender works virtually started in 2004-2005 after the appointment of 'quality control engineer', sources said. Meanwhile, construction works of some roads, especially bridges, have been hampered due to unusual increase of water of the Kaptai Lake this year. Construction works of all bridges as well as culverts under the aforesaid ten roads have to be done in the coming dry season whenever water level of Kaptai Lake comes down, LGED office sources said. Total length of the ten roads under the CHTRDP project is 68 kilometres. The roads are: Battali-Ugalchhari union road 2.50 km, Wagga Junior High School -- Sapchhari union road 0.83 km, Bangalhali R&H point -- Nalkachhari Union road 4.010 km, Kawkhali -- Ghagra R & H point upazila FRB road 7.73 km, Jhagrabil -- Rangamati via Baradam upazila FRB Road 18.367 km, Sapchhari High School -- Furamon Peak union/ Rural Road 7.627 km, Bogachattar union -- Ghonomore union 5.027 km, Bilai headquarters -- Farua Bazar Road and Naniachar College union /rural road 6.682 km, Bonojogi Chhara -- Subholong Bazar union/rural road 5.283 km and Khansama para -- Baghmara --Antapara -- Rajasthali upazila road under Rajasthali upazila 10.632 km. The construction of Battali -- Ugalchhari and Kawkhali -- Ghagra roads have already been completed and Wagga Junior High School -- Sapchhari union road and Bangalhalia -- Nakalchhari union road are nearing completion, LGED sources said. Construction works of six other roads have remained temporarily suspended as works of several bridges and culverts under those roads had to be stopped due to inundation of work sites. Ashish Kumar Pal, executive engineer of LGED, Rangamati told The Daily Star that works under the project had to undergo much difficulty and frequent interruptions during the last dry season also as necessary construction materials could not be reached regularly due to 'inaccessibility' of the work sites. Construction of most roads would have been completed by this time if works were not hindered, he said, adding that now time extension is essential to complete the rest of the works of the important roads. Following a feasibility study jointly conducted by the officials of ADB and CHT affairs ministry in 1998-1999, the ministry approved the CHTRDP project. The project aims at alleviation of poverty, creating employment opportunity, income generation and development of socio-economic condition of the marginal farmers in the region through upgrading of rural infrastructures. Development of road communication and agriculture sector in CHT and ensuring sustainable development and technological supports are also objectives of the project. Four components of the project are development of rural infrastructures and rehabilitation, community development, micro finance and assistance to project management. When contacted, Doyal Kumar Chakma, deputy project director of CHTRDP, said the Ministry of CHT Affairs in a recent meeting held at the Secretariat have already approved a proposal for extension of the project tenure. "I do not think ADB will close the project after termination of the stipulated time as most construction works remain half done," he said.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments