CHATTOGRAM, July 11: The renovation works of the existing century-old Kalurghat Railway Bridge is being delayed for failure of introduction of ferry service on the Karnaphuli River.
In the fifth time on Tuesday, no tender has been dropped for introduction ferry service in the Karnaphuli for facilitating the renovation works of the age-old railway bridge.
Executive Engineer of RHD Pintu Chakma said, "There is no tender dropped today, the last date of tender submission for ferry service."
Meanwhile, two tenders had been dropped on June 29 for the fourth time. Of them one tender had been declared invalid. So, Roads and Highways Division invited tender for the fifth time which concluded on Tuesday.
The Bangladesh Railway (BR) was interested to open a call for bids in March to renovate the Kalurghat Bridge over the River Karnaphuli in Chattogram, in line with the completion of the Dohazari-Cox's Bazar rail line. Accordingly, ferry service in Kalurghat over Kanaphuli was scheduled to be introduced in March last.
According to BR sources, first tender had been invited for appointment of ferry service in March. But there was no tender dropped for the works. Second time was also nil tenders for the purpose. Then third time had been invited which was opened on May 30 and the authorities found three tenders. But one of them was fake tender, Pintu Chakma, Executive Engineer of Roads and Highways department told the Daily Observer.
"It is not possible to appoint one from only two tenders. So, the tenders shall have to be invited for the 4th time," Pintu Chakma said. In the fourth time also two tenders have been dropped. Of them one tender was invalid.
Presently three ferries have already been anchored in the river in the Kalurghat area. Initially, two ferries will be used for carrying heavy vehicles.
Another one will be kept as a reserve. In 2008, the ferry service was relaunched on the river in the Kalurghat area for six months to facilitating some major renovations of the Kalurghat Bridge. After the country's independence, the ferry service was operational multiple times for various reasons.
"Renovation works of the bridge will continue for 8 months," Abu Jafar Mia, Chief Engineer of Bangladeh Railway, East, told the Daily Observer.
He also said, "We shall complete the works suitable for movement of train on the bridge within three months."
"Next five months we shall finish other ancilliary works of the Bridge," he said.
The Bangladesh Railway (BR) has taken up the project of renovation works of the Kalurghat Bridge at TK 43 crore.
Bangladesh Railway appointed Max Infrastructure Limited as the contractor for the renovation works of Kalurghat Bridge on June 18.
Following a tender process, Max Infrastructure Limited was selected as the lowest bidder and signed the contract with the Bangladesh Railway (East Zone).
