How can DGHS ask for another extension?

Time extensions on important public sector projects is nothing new in our country. However, when it comes to this particular project, one that was designed to facilitate manpower training in laboratory medicine at hospital and community levels, it warrants further attention. Strangely enough, the contractor who landed the job from the ministry of health in 2010 was supposed to build the National Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Referral Centre (NILMRC) in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar by 2013. Not only did he fail to deliver, but for reasons beyond anyone's comprehension, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) sought, and obtained four-time extensions. Now it's asked for a fifth (for another year) at the Ecnec meeting on October 22.

The project has received extension for a year. During the Ecnec meeting however, the prime minister came down heavily on the contractor who is implementing some 13 large construction projects of the government. Ironically, the owner has recently been arrested by law enforcers on the accusation of tender manipulation amongst other things. We totally agree that government ministries and departments review all contracts with controversial companies and float fresh tenders, or, as in the case of NILMRC, award the job to sub-contractors. It was further suggested that no contractor should be allowed to do more than two public construction jobs at a time.

Our question is, why would the prime minister have to step in to give directives to take corrective measures against a contract-violating company? The time overrun of these extensions are costing the national exchequer an extra Tk 56 crore (that is 41 percent above original cost) and as with all troubled projects, this one too suffers from faulty project design, which should have been scrutinised before awarding of the contract. The benefits of the original project get lost as we get bogged down in endless extensions. Merely unearthing wrongdoing is not enough. These are scams that rip off the public because it is tax payers' money that is being thrown away to fatten the pockets of corrupt officials and contractors. This will only stop if authorities initiate strict reform in the tendering process and introduce serious oversight on project timelines, backed up by hefty fines and legal action against defaulting companies.