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The much-awaited fast-track Dohazari-Cox’s Bazar-Ghundum railway project is set to be delayed by two more years as Bangladesh Railway (BR) has sought time extension up to June 2024, officials said on Saturday.
Currently, the project execution deadline is in June 2022.
The government in the meantime has extended the ongoing Tk 180.34 billion cost execution deadline of the project on two occasions.
The BR had started the physical work of the railway track installation in fiscal year (FY) 2014-15 although the government approved it in 2010.
“The Covid-19 pandemic and some other factors have affected our project work. So, we need another two years to complete the project,” said a senior official at the BR.
“We’ve already sent our proposal to the Planning Commission for extension of the tenure without enhancing the cost,” he said.
The BR claimed that they achieved 66 per cent of physical progress although the financial progress was 34.54 per cent until December last year.
This priority project is one of the ongoing mega schemes in the country that is expected to facilitate easy access to the tourist city of Cox’s Bazar for the local and foreign tourists and would connect Myanmar as a regional corridor.
Initially, the project was delayed by nearly five years due to the funding complexities.
The government had approved the Tk 18.52 billion project in 2010 for implementing it by December 2013.
A senior BR official said the funding problem was created when both China and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) wanted to bankroll the top-priority projects.
Finally, the government decided to borrow from the ADB for constructing the 102km Dohazari-Cox’s Bazar track.
As the BR failed to start working within the preliminary deadline by December 2013, the government extended the deadline up to June 2016 without enhancing the cost.
Following the failure for the second time, the government extended the deadline up to June 2022, increasing the cost by nearly 10 times to Tk 180.34 billion including ADB financing of Tk 116.55 billion.
The BR official said the project work is progressing at a higher pace and the track is likely to be opened for the passengers within next one year.
“But we want another year for the contractor to take care of the operations of the newly constructed tracks,” he added.
When asked, a senior PC official said they were scrutinising the project extension proposal.
“If we find valid grounds, we will consider extending the timeline,” he added.
(FE)
