Staff Reporter :
Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) has once again sought time extension to complete its ongoing ‘Gulshan-Banani-Baridhara Lake Development’ project since the work of the project suffered a setback for several reasons, including repeated interventions by the land grabbers.
After failing to make significant headway in executing the development project in the last six years, Rajuk now proposes implementation tenure of the project up to June 2023 revising a 1091 per cent escalation in its cost.
The Tk 410.25 crore ‘Gulshan-Banani-Baridhara Lake Development’ project will now cost Tk 4,886.11 crore of which Tk 158.50 crore will come from Rajuk and the rest Tk 4, 727.61 crore from the government, according to the Rajuk’s proposal sent before the Planning Commission recently.
Officials said the tenure of the project has already been extended for four times without increasing the cost since it launched in 2010.
On July 6, 2010, the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) had approved the project undertaken by Rajuk with an estimated cost of Tk 410 crore and it was supposed to end by June 2013.
“Rajuk has sought three more years for completing the project since it failed to make significant headway in executing the project in the last six years,” said a planning commission official.
He said that the project under Rajuk would get fifth extension in its implementation tenure and the time overrun would also escalate its cost tremendously.
The government took ‘Gulshan-Banani-Baridhara Lake Development’ project to protect the lake from illegal occupation, to reclaim and preserve the water retention capacity of the lake and save it from pollution as well as it’s beautification.
“The project has been delayed and it missed its deadline as Rajuk could not complete acquisition of land and failed to recover land from illegal possession,” a Rajuk official told The New Nation on Saturday on condition of anonymity.
He said, Rajuk faces huge challenge to complete the task as a powerful quarter who grabbed lands in the project areas is making our effort difficult. Besides, private landowners and organizations are also putting legal barriers on the way to acquire lands for the projects.
“In this situation, Rajuk has sought another three-year’s extension to the project tenure,” he added. When asked, the Rajuk official said the project cost would go up by a whopping 1091 per cent as a number of new components have been added in the revised Development Project Proposal (RDPP).
According to RDPP, 82.56 acres of land will be acquired at the cost of Tk 2,000 crore.
According to RAJUK sources, the RDPP also includes removal of 12 lakh 60 thousand 817 cubic meters of sludge, construction of 5,385 running meters of grade separator, 5,607 running meters of road, 1,500 meters of RCC pipe for household sewer, 2,000 running meters of the drain, electrification, 260 intersection pits, 2.10-acre park, rehabilitation work of Karail slum dwellers.
In addition, 11,626 running meters of arrow conservation, 2,000 running meters of RCC pipes for rainwater removal, 260 running meters of foot over bridges, lake water cleaning, private security, bicycle lanes, exercise yard, skating zone, observation tower and lakeside seating will be made.
Under the project, aesthetic bridges like Hatirjheel and four overpasses will be constructed at nine places of Gulshan-Banani-Baridhara Lake.
Apart from constructing one bridge between Gulshan and Badda and another from Gulshan-2 to Baridhara, the existing bridge at Niketan will be demolished to make way for a bigger bridge. Besides, one bridge will be constructed at Jhilpar in Shahjadpur, one at Banani to Gulshan-2, one near Gulshan-1, one from Police Plaza to Niketan and one from Banani to Gulshan-2.
The implementation of the project will also bring about a major change in traffic management in Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara and Badda areas.
According to RAJUK, the then DIT (now RAJUK) started implementation of the project in 1961 and at the same time it has started 1000 acres land development (Banani-Baridhara) work for residential use.
By 1992, activities in Gulshan Model Town and partial Banani and Baridhara residential areas were completed under the project titled “One Thousand Acres Land Development”.
However, the two existing lakes (one between Banani and Gulshan and one between Gulshan and Baridhara) covering an area of 200 acres have not been completed till the date.
