The much-awaited project to provide gas to the country’s southern region has hit a snags again for various reasons, including bureaucratic tangles.Though the project, launched in 2009, was supposed to be completed by December 2012, only 10-15 percent of its works have been completed so far, sources said.
Amid the delay, the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) in June, 2013 extended the project implementation period up to December 2014.
Despite the time extension, the remaining works on the project are unlikely to be finished within the 17 months starting from June 2013 to December 2014, Petrobangla officials said.
The process to appoint contractors to install pipes is yet to start, the sources said, adding that a committee has been formed in this regard but it has not yet been able to make an assessment on the basis of which the tender will be floated.
According to the officials involved with the project, the possibility is thin for the project to be completed within the extended time. In that case, the project will have to be sent to Ecnec again for its fresh approval, they said.
The 532-crore project, jointly financed by the Asian Development Bank and the government, is aimed at providing gas links to 21 southern districts, including Khulna, Barisal and Bhola.
In the first phase, gas transmission lines stretching over 850 kilometers covering Khulna, Jessore, Kushtia, Bagerhat and Mongla are supposed to be installed under the project.
Describing the reasons behind the delay in implementation of the project, another source in Khulna said the authorities are facing problems in setting up pipes for gas transmission beneath the Padma River in Ishwardi, Pabna. “Contractors to install the pipes in the river could not yet be picked even after floating the tender twice.”
Besides, pipes beneath the Rupsha River cannot be installed for some technical problems, the source said, adding that the gas distribution project would be completed quickly if gas transmission pipes can be installed beneath the Padma and Rupsha rivers.
They, however, said the installation of gas transmission lines from Elenga of Tangail to Khulna is about to complete.
Observing the overall situation, the officials involved in the project said though two separate projects under Dakkhin-Pashchimanchal Gas Distribution Company were launched following the demands of people in southern region, the projects hang in the balance for lack of accountability and monitoring by the authorities concerned. .- UNB
