A high priority development scheme of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC)– improvement of damaged roads, drains and footpaths– widely known as ‘Umbrella Project’ is now hanging in balance due to the bureaucratic tangle, official sources confirmed.
The project has been taken by the DCC for the development of some important roads and footpaths along with drains in the wake of upcoming ICC World Cup that will be held in February next year in the capital.
The project cost has been estimated at Tk 266.72 crore. Of the total, 15 percent will be spent from the DCC’s fund and the rest will come from the government grant, it is learnt.
There are only a few months left to meet the deadline of holding World Cup cricket and the venue has set at Mirpur stadium.
Special measures will be taken to develop the drainage system to remove water logging in the city during pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons.
But, the completion of this project has become uncertain due to lengthy official procedures of the concerned departments.
Concerned officials of the DCC apprehended that the project might not be completed within the schedule time. The implementation period of the project has been fixed from July 2010- June 2012.
Admitting the situation, a senior official of the DCC, requesting anonymity, told The New Nation, “We are yet to get approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) though more than five months have already been elapsed. He said 217 km roads, 190 km drains and 45 km footpaths would be reconstructed under the umbrella project.
According to the Project Proposal (PP), except zone-6 of DCC (Mohammadpur, Adabar, Latmatia and its adjacent areas), the entire Dhaka city has been taken under the project.
However, top most priority has been given to Mirpur area for the development of some major roads leading towards Mirpur stadium, the officials added.
Avenue-4, Haji road, Zoo road and a couple of adjacent roads to the stadium along with footpaths and drains will be reconstructed in the first phase.
Meanwhile, the project has already been approved by the Implementation and Monitory Evaluation Division (IMED) and Cabinet Committee on Economic affairs (CCE), it is learnt.
Project Director Engineer Nurul Amin said the PP of the Umbrella Project has been sent for approval of the ECNEC.
“After getting the approval, the allocation would be disbursed. Then the DCC will float the tender and the project will be officially kicked-off” added the project director.
