When the cost for building the Padma Bridge was first estimated it stood at Tk 10,162 crore in 2007 and following a series of three more cost increases in the last eleven years, last year it stood at Tk 30 , 193 crore, and now it’s at Tk 31, 593 crore. But according to local media reports, it could even be 39, 246.80 crore —a staggering four times figure.
Yet, it is not only a text-book example of extreme project mismanagement in Bangladesh but also a tale of how budget expenditure is lacking accountability. Inefficient handling and poor planning has hit the project hard. However, what’s baffling is that collecting extra money for the project in the name of ‘unforeseen and unanticipated costs’ seems to be no problem for the government. Also the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved a revised budget for the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, adding Tk4,257.94 crore to the total project cost of Tk34,988.86 crore.
It is, as if, public money has lost its value when it comes to communications expenditure.
We are not denying the importance of having the bridge, but at how much more cost? Sometimes the entire project’s cost related matters appear mysterious since we fail to grasp the logics behind it. It is running behind schedule for a long time, and with a number of flaws.
The works of the Padma Bridge construction is increasingly getting complicated due to difficulty in resolving the problems that have cropped up with its design. While the project office was finding it hard to solve design-related problems concerning 14 piers of the 6.15-kilometre bridge during the last couple of months, it is now faced with new problems with eight more, some of which have already been partially constructed. Expectedly, the bridge, once built will be based on a flawed design.
The Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project (PMBP) authorities have now learnt to get worried about the total 22 piers of the bridge. A Korean consulting firm was supposed to get involved to solve the technical and designed related matters, but we don’t know the progress. The point, however, all these problems including the cost related issues were all avoidable. And we see no unavoidable circumstances apart from a climactic disaster.
The problem was not building the bridge with public money but we didn’t possess the skills and experience. And the government realised it later by disproportionately increasing the project cost. Building the bridge quickly and making it visible as its tenure came to an end was the topmost priority.
In Bangladesh, government construction work costs are inevitably excessive. Bangladesh has the highest road construction costs in Asia. It is the same with its bridge construction costs too.
And the cost mechanism of any mega-project is deliberately designed in that way so to corrupt and criminal syndicates make money overnight. According to the South Asian monitor website – with the amount being spent on the construction of Padma Bridge – India could have made 19 bridges – each the size of their biggest one, the Bhupen Hazarika Bridge. And our government is repeatedly failing to build even one.
Be it excessive cost of land or raw materials, it’s time the government explains its rising costs and shoulder full responsibility in failing to build it at a convenient cost.
Before accepting the challenge to have built the Padma Bridge with indigenous resources and manpower, the government’s authorities concerned should have assessed its strengths and weaknesses.
Waste of public money for inefficiency or corruption has no limits, because the government has no accountability and government feels to galore as big success for political propaganda. Luckily for the government, our bureaucrats are extremely too cooperative against public interest.
