Deal signed for cross-river transmission line over Jamuna

A bilateral agreement was signed between state-owned Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) and a joint venture company (JV) consisting of 'Transrail Lighting Ltd, and ITD Cementation India Ltd', for construction of about 9km river crossing transmission line over the Jamuna River as part of Bogra to Kaliakoir 400 kV transmission line.

At the same time, another separate agreement was signed between PGCB and Transrail Lighting Ltd for two bay-extension works at a 400 KV grid substation line at Kaliakoir. The agreements were signed at the head office of PGCB on September 12.

The Jamuna river-crossing section will cost about Tk 2,193 crore while the two bay-extension works at Kaliakoir substation will cost Tk 43 crore (approx).

Indian Line of Credit (LOC)-2, the government of Bangladesh and PGCB are jointly funding the project.

The works are being executed under the 'Barapukuria-Bogra-Kaliakoir 400 Transmission Line Construction' project of the PGCB.

As per the agreement, the contractor will complete the river-crossing transmission line within the next 24 months and the bay extension within the next 18 months and hand it over to the PGCB.

A total of 14 high and strong towers will be constructed along the river bed and two ends of the Jamuna to cross the river.

PGCB Company Secretary Md Jahangir Azad and Executive Vice President of ITD Cementation Kaushik Nandi signed the contract on behalf of their respective sides while Md Jahangir Azad and Transrail Country Head Kuldeep Kumar Sinha signed the contract for the bay-extension work.

Executive Director (O&M) of PGCB Md Abdul Monayem Chaudhary, Chief Engineer (P&D) Sardar Mohammad Zafarul Hasan, Project Director Sheikh Zakiruzzaman, General Manager of Transrail Lighting Ltd Deepak Yadav and Vice President of ITD Cementation K R Senthilanathan and other senior officials from both sides were present on the occasion.