Planning minister unsatisfied over slow pace of project implementation in Barishal

Planning Minister MA Mannan has expressed dissatisfaction over the slow pace of implementation of the ongoing projects in Barisal division and the many excuses made by project directors.

"One project director (PD) takes charge of multiple projects. They all live in Dhaka. They come to the project areas very few times. Executive engineers continue the project work," said the Planning Minister at a meeting with project directors of the Barishal Division held at Barishal Circuit house yesterday.

Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) Secretary Pradeep Ranjan Chakraborty, among others, was present at the meeting.

"The project cannot be evaluated by sitting in Dhaka. This is why we have decided to go to the divisional city in a bid to observe the situation of ongoing the projects," said MA Mannan.

The minister said the project cost increases due to lack of actual evaluation of the project.  At the same time, it has become a tradition for increasing the duration of the project.

At the meeting, the IMED, in its report, disclosed the update of the progress of 67 projects in Barishal division. According to the report, the overall progress of six projects is zero percent while progress of 10 projects is less than 10 percent, progress of 13 projects is one to 25 percent, progress of 19 projects are 26 to 50 percent and progress of 29 projects are more than 51 percent.

In the meeting, the projects directors said the problem of land acquisition is the main reason behind the delay in project implementation.

Responding to the project directors, IMED Secretary Pradeep Ranjan Chakraborty said "that means (the problem of land acquisition) that the feasibility study is not done properly."

The secretary said the feasibility study has been made compulsory the for projects of more than Tk 50 crore but has not been complied with. As a result, the time and cost of implementing the project are increasing.