UNB, Madaripur :
Works on Shokuni Lake Beautification Project in the district have remained halted for the last three months for lack of coordination among the project officials and ‘repeated changes’ in its design.
The construction works under the Tk 20.50-crore project started on May 18 last year without any complete design and it has remained halted for the last three months as per the direction of the officials concerned, alleged Syed Abul Bashar, a contractor of the project.
“The officials used to bring different designs during their site visits and we had been working in accordance with those designs. As they could not provide us with any design in the last three months, we stopped the works,” he told UNB.
“The project officials informed that the design has been changed when some portion of the work has already been done. The machinery we’ve hired for implementing the project are also lying idle. We’re counting losses every day,” he added.
Bashar also noted that soil that has already been dug out and stacked on both sides of the project site will be washed into the lake again with rainfalls if immediate steps are not taken.
When there will be rains, the water must be pumped out to carry out the work, and it will create some inconvenience to local people as well, he added.
Contacted, executive engineer of Madaripur municipality Abul Kalam Azad said, “The project design has not been changed, but improved. And the work has not been stopped either.”
However, municipality mayor Khalid Hossain Yead admitted that the design has been reviewed a bit, but the project works will be completed within the stipulated time.
Madaripur municipality is implementing the project with fund from Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED).
The project, having the prospect for amusement and tourism sector, has been included in the Prime Minister’s priority list of development projects.
Works on Shokuni Lake Beautification Project in the district have remained halted for the last three months for lack of coordination among the project officials and ‘repeated changes’ in its design.
The construction works under the Tk 20.50-crore project started on May 18 last year without any complete design and it has remained halted for the last three months as per the direction of the officials concerned, alleged Syed Abul Bashar, a contractor of the project.
“The officials used to bring different designs during their site visits and we had been working in accordance with those designs. As they could not provide us with any design in the last three months, we stopped the works,” he told UNB.
“The project officials informed that the design has been changed when some portion of the work has already been done. The machinery we’ve hired for implementing the project are also lying idle. We’re counting losses every day,” he added.
Bashar also noted that soil that has already been dug out and stacked on both sides of the project site will be washed into the lake again with rainfalls if immediate steps are not taken.
When there will be rains, the water must be pumped out to carry out the work, and it will create some inconvenience to local people as well, he added.
Contacted, executive engineer of Madaripur municipality Abul Kalam Azad said, “The project design has not been changed, but improved. And the work has not been stopped either.”
However, municipality mayor Khalid Hossain Yead admitted that the design has been reviewed a bit, but the project works will be completed within the stipulated time.
Madaripur municipality is implementing the project with fund from Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED).
The project, having the prospect for amusement and tourism sector, has been included in the Prime Minister’s priority list of development projects.
