DUMURIA, KHULNA, Sept 28: The road widening and communication system development work on the Betagram-Tala-Paikgacha-Koyra road in Dumuria, Khulna, is progressing at a snail's pace.
Although the deadline and allocation for the project to upgrade this main road to proper standards have been increased at least three times, delays due to the contractor's procrastination and the authorities' negligence are prolonging the completion, exacerbating public sufferings.
According to the latest schedule, the work is supposed to be completed by June 2026. However, not even half of the work has been finished so far. As a result, people are enduring immense hardship while vehicles risk plying the dilapidated road, with the constant fear of accidents and loss of life.
According to the Khulna Roads and Highways Department (RHD), the project for the proper development of the Betagram-Tala-Paikgacha-Koyra road was approved by ECNEC in January 2020. After the tender process, the contract was awarded to Mozahar Enterprise. The work order for implementing the project worth Tk 339 crore 58 lakh and 47 thousand was issued on December 29.
The initial deadline for completion was June 30, 2022. Later, citing various reasons, the deadline was extended three to four times by one year each time, pushing the project's deadline to June 2026. The project cost was additionally increased by Tk 40 crore.
Furthermore, an additional Tk 55 crore was allocated separately for a three-kilometer section within the project. Most recently, another Tk 1 crore was allocated for widening six feet on both sides of the 30-kilometer road from Tala to Paikgacha. Thus, although the project allocation has skyrocketed to Tk 534 crore 58 lakh, an increase of Tk 195 crore, there is no visible initiative to complete the work quickly.
A visit to the project site revealed that workers from the contracting company are working at a slow pace. While the work of straightening the curves is 70-80% complete, the road widening work is only 50-60% done. In many places, only 10-20% of the work has been completed. However, even these ongoing works are causing extreme inconvenience to pedestrians and traffic.
Several pedestrians stated that the failure to complete the work on time and the multiple extensions have increased the woes of road users. People are suffering due to mud and water during commutes, and traffic is disrupted. Students traveling to schools and colleges are facing severe problems. Particularly, patients going to the hospital lose a significant amount of time stuck on the road.
While local people are sceptical about the work being completed by the upcoming June, responsible officials from the Roads and Highways Department are optimistic. The Roads Department stated that a crucial part of the project was straightening 30 dangerous curves. For this, Tk 71 crore 82 lakh was spent on acquiring 11.24 hectares of land, and this work has already been completed. Considerable time was lost due to legal complications involving some land acquisitions. Furthermore, work was suspended for quite some days during the period of government changeover. Work resumed at full speed from last November. However, many labourers have still not joined work.
Private driver Zahidul Islam said, "Previously, it took one and a half hours to travel from Tala to Koyra; now it takes four hours. Fuel consumption has increased, so passengers have to pay double the fare." Baharul Mondal, a resident of Rahimabad village who travels by van, said, "How many more years will it take to repair one road? It's already been three years. Pedestrians are suffering immensely due to dust and, during rain, mud and water."
Md. Tanimul Haque, Executive Engineer of the Roads Division, Khulna RHD, said, "The project will be completed by June 2026. The deadline had to be extended due to complications in land acquisition."
Tala Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Deepa Rani Sarker said she tried to talk to the contractor but was unsuccessful. Although work is ongoing, there is considerable doubt about its completion within the deadline due to the slow pace. She draws the attention of the Khulna RHD Executive Engineer for the quick implementation of this important road in the public interest.
