Indecision causes unnecessary delay

DESPITE claims to the contrary, the expansion of Dhaka-Chittagong highway from existing two lanes to four has progressed at a snail’s pace. Four and half years into its tenure, the government has completed a mere 30 per cent of the work. Doubts persist whether the remaining work can be completed in the next 18 months.
According to a study by the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation (IMED) of the planning ministry, indecisions at every stage have caused project cost overruns by about 47 per cent. Not only that, the tendering and re-tendering processes for the expansion project spanning three governments has not helped matters. Allegations have risen against successive contractors who have failed to mobilise requisite manpower, equipment and construction material as per scheduled timeframes. But most damaging of all is the fact that the post of project director has changed as many as 11 times over the 7 year period of project timeline. All these factors smack of flouting of government policy, especially since a change at this level requires recommendations from a high-level committee led by none other than the prime minister.
We are aghast at the apathy of government agencies to fast track such a vital project. Although the ministry of communications has highlighted several causes for the delay, one cannot but be dumbstruck at the lack of prioritisation for such a crucial project. The highway connecting Dhaka to Chittagong should have been prioritised as it carries the bulk of RMG exports and imports into the country are equally dependent on the highway.