Second Padma bridge at Paturia gets nod

Estimated cost Tk 13,121cr; tender for Dhaka elevated expressway next month
The government is going to construct a second bridge over the Padma River in Paturia at an estimated cost of Tk 13,121 crore or $1.9 billion with private initiative and without foreign assistance.
The cabinet committee on economic affairs at a meeting approved in principle the proposal made by the communications ministry for constructing the bridge.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith chaired the meeting held at the Cabinet Division yesterday.
The cabinet committee also approved proposals for appointment of consultant for the Dhaka Elevated Expressway and constructing Joydevpur-Mymensingh expressway.
The communications ministry is going to float tender on March 4 for construction of the elevated expressway, the finance minister said.
Moreover, a committee has been formed to further scrutinise the draft industrial policy.
Muhith told journalists the second bridge project would be implemented with private financing. The communications ministry would take necessary steps for construction of the bridge soon.
Muhith added the second Padma bridge would not be a multi-purpose one.
The communications ministry would decide about when and how the tender would be floated. The finance minister said it was one of the major electoral pledges of the Awami League-led grand alliance and the prime minister has directed to implement the project quickly.
The communications ministry yesterday sought approval from the Committee to start tender process for appointment of investors to construct the bridge on Build-Own-Transfer (BOT) or public-private partnership (PPP) basis.
The ministry also sought waiver from the obligations of following Bangladesh Private Sector Infrastructure Guidelines.
As per a survey by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), cost for construction of the second Padma bridge at Paturia-Gualundo point has been estimated at Tk 13,121 crore or $1.9 billion, according to the communications ministry proposal.
The ministry proposal also said if the government had to depend on development partners for building the bridge, it would have taken much more time. So the government opted for private initiative.
Besides, the estimated cost for construction of ongoing first Padma Bridge at Mawa point is $2.4 billion, of which donors made commitment for providing $2.21 billion as assistance.
DHAKA ELEVATED EXPRESSWAY
The cabinet committee also okayed a proposal of the communications ministry to appoint consultant for the Dhaka Elevated Expressway without tender.
The ministry made the proposal to award the consultancy work to the consultant of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge — Maunsell-AECOM — at a cost of Tk 3.1 crore.
Muhith said the proposal was made to award the consultancy for the Dhaka Elevated Expressway to the same consultant to save time. He said the consultant could start the work in next 10 days.
He added it is expected that the work may be completed within three months. It would take at least six months to appoint consultant only if a fresh tender would have to be floated, he said.
As per the plan of the communications ministry, the four-lane Dhaka Elevated Expressway (Gazipur-Narayanganj) would be 32.1 kilometres in length and would cost Tk 8,617 crore or $1.24 billion.
JOYDEVPUR-MYMENSINGH EXPRESSWAY
The cabinet committee also gave its nod to the proposal of constructing Joydevpur-Mymensingh Expressway with government financing of approximately Tk 800 crore.
Earlier, the government decided to construct the expressway on PPP basis. But the communications ministry put up a proposal to the committee for implementing the project with public financing, as PPP initiative would have taken much more time.
Muhith said the condition of Joydevpur-Mymensingh road is in a very bad shape. So, quick implementation of the expressway has become urgent.
The finance minister said no road has yet been constructed under PPP initiative, though power projects have been implemented under it. He said for constructing roads under PPP initiative, a guideline for collecting toll from the road users has to be prepared.
Once the guideline is formulated, the roads can be constructed with PPP initiative.
The industries ministry yesterday placed the draft industrial policy at the cabinet committee meeting, but it was not passed.
A committee led by Board of Investment (BoI) Executive Chairman Dr SA Samad has been formed to further scrutinise the draft policy.
The committee has been asked to place the revised policy in next 15 days.

Courtesy of The Daily Star