Sunamgonj Correspondent :
Work of the much desired bridge over the river Surma at Chhatak upazila town of Sunamganj yet not started even after 10 months of its approval by the ECNEC. The project worth Tk 1.13 billion was approved in October 2016. Sources however claimed the delay was mainly due to slow process of the land acquisition for approaches.
The then prime minister Khaleda Zia laid its foundation on August 23, 2004. Accordingly the works began in January 2006 with a targeted cost of Tk 180 million with a target to complete the works in three years. Accordingly Tk 80 million was spent and four pillars were built on both end of the bridge in a year. But the works went suspended during the caretaker regime in 2007.
Even it was dropped from the ADP that time raising questions to the locals. Then a revised project worth Tk 510 million was sent for approval from the communication ministry in 2010. Again it had to be revised with some minor changes, in line with higher authority’s decision. The estimated cost stood at Tk 1.13 billion to complete by June 2018.
Sources informed a proposal for acquiring 20 acres of land on the two banks of the river for approaches had been under process by the district administration.
Additional chief engineer of the Roads and Highways Department, Sylhet zone, Md Shahnawaz said some changes had been done in the rest part of the project. “We hope works would be started with completion of the land acquisition as soon as possible,” he said.
