NITOR-GB LINK ROAD OPENING
DNCC likely to miss deadline
The Dhaka North City Corporation is likely to miss its deadline for opening the planned 60-feet road linking the Grameen Bank headquarters with the National Institute of
Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation by June.
The project officials and the construction firm workers said the project faces further delays as the process of land acquisition for the road was yet to be completed.
The DNCC and deputy commissioner office was not able to acquire many pockets of the route as some land owners in the areas filed cases against the compulsory land acquisition, said locals and project officials.
During a spot visit this week, many structures on the road were found yet to be demolished. The process of sand filling is still going on slowly and some time it stops for raining.
The owners of some plots that have already been acquired are refusing to allow the project personnel to demolish their houses, they said, adding that the monsoon rain also delayed the work.
‘We have to stop the construction work for the day when it rains,’ said Anower Hossin, a construction firm stuff said.
‘If the DNCC officials fail to clear the land, how could we continue the construction?’ he asked.
The project director, Abdur Rajjak, said they earlier hoped that they would be able to complete the road by June this year.
But the project officials said they were yet to acquire four mosques, a post office and a building of the Jatiya Andha Kalyan Samity. Besides, many buildings which have already been acquired are yet to be demolished.
The owner of a contractor firm, Mobasser Chowdhury, said, ‘No decision has yet been made about the mosques.’
On the issue, Abdur Rajjak said they would make a decision in this regard after discussion with the local people and it would be done by consensus.
Three contractors are working to build the 3.6 kilometre road along with footpaths and a divider.
The erstwhile Dhaka city corporation took the project in 2004 following the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha’s 1995 master plan. The original plan did not allow construction of any building on the route of the road.
The total project cost is estimated at Tk 240 crore, of which Tk 40 crore is allocated for road construction and the rest for land acquisition and compensating the owners of the acquired land.
-With New Age input
