RAJUK seeks 143% rise in cost

Eight years into the two-year-long Uttara Lake Development Project, the implementing agency Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) has sought a whopping 143 percent increase in the cost.

However, observing the revised budget and length of activities the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) under the Planning Commission has doubted if the project could meet the newly proposed deadline.

Planning Commission officials said the proposal for revising the project is likely to be reviewed by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) at its meeting today.

The project was initiated in 2014 with an initial cost of Tk37.32 crore. But now after extending the deadline for the project twice the agency wants a revised budget of Tk90.73 crore with a new deadline (June 2023).

Of the new budget, Tk53.91 crore will be met from its own fund and the rest TK11.88 crore will be funded by the government.

In a letter to the Planning Commission in June RAJUK sought the extension of the project tenure until June 2023.

According to the sources, from the Planning Commission, the revision of the project was made as RAJUK did not have a master plan while initiating the project.

So, after formulating the master plan because of appointing consultation institute and correcting some of the project works the cost went higher, the letter said.

The project was included in the Annual Development Plan (ADP) FY without any allotment.

Sources from the Planning Commission said financial progress of the initial project till June 22 was 78.54 percent and its progress in reality was 78 percent.

Earlier, in its annual report, IMED identified improper work plans, low capacity and lengthy procurement processes, among other reasons, for the unwarranted situation.