The government is trying to start construction work of the Palashi-Gabtali Elevated Expressway before the current tenure ends, without conducting a detailed feasibility study.
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), which is in-charge of the project, is now conducting the feasibility study as a mere formality, said trustworthy sources of the city corporation requesting anonymity.
The sources said the city corporation authorities are in a hurry to finish the feasibility study since the government wanted to start construction work of the elevated expressway before ending its tenure.
Earlier Dhaka South had contacted with the Civil Engineering department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), requesting it to conduct feasibility study of the project within 2-3 weeks, the sources added.
The Civil Engineering department, however, replied that it would need at least 16 months to complete a comprehensive feasibility study.
Dr Md Shamsul Haque, professor of the Civil Engineering department of Buet, while talking with the Dhaka Tribune said: “It will need about 18 months to complete a detailed feasibility study as different social and environmental issues are related with it.”
“The city corporation may run a pre-feasibility study. However, this type of pre-feasibility has already been run in previously.”
Md Zahangir Alam, chief engineer of DSCC, said: “As Buet wants 16 months to complete the study, we have taken the decision to do it by another private agency.”
The DSCC will send a letter to the Local Government Division (LGD) under the Ministry for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, seeking permission to do the study through a private agency, he added.
The Dhaka South has allocated Tk3.75b in the 2013-14 fiscal for the project, he further added.
Abu Alam Md Shahid Khan, secretary of the division under the ministry, said: “If the city corporation sends such a letter to us, we will take a decision after consulting with the Prime Minister’s Office.”
“However, according to the city corporation law, authorities of the corporation are free to take any step regarding their project,” he added.
Maisha Group, a local business conglomerate, had proposed to build a 10.5-kilometre ‘Elevated Bus Rapid Transit and Expressway’ on Mirpur road-from Palashi to Gabtali in the capital under Public Private Partnership initiative in March of this year, saying that it will help ease traffic congestion of the city.
Later, Maisha Group signed an agreement in May with Chinese company Guizhou No 2 Power Engineering Construction Company for construction of the project.
Md Anwar Hossain, general manager of Maisha Group, said: “Divider space of the road will be used for pillars of the expressway and underpass will be constructed removing foot-over bridges.”
