Power plant with India in limbo

The construction of infrastructure for the Ashuganj river port is yet to start, delaying the transhipment of equipment for a power plant in the Indian state of Tripura through Bangladesh territory.
Transport of equipment cargoes for the Paltana Power Plant needs a jetty at the river port, a new bypass road or renovation of the existing 49-km road, and sixteen bridge-bypasses from Ashuganj to Akhaura near Bangladesh-India border and river dredging.
India wants to start transhipping Over Dimensional Cargoes (ODC) by end of this year. But according to shipping ministry officials it wouldn't be possible as none of the infrastructure projects is started.
Besides, the Indian government is yet to disburse $1 billion loan to Bangladesh for 14 infrastructure-building projects including those for Ashuganj.
During Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's India visit, the neighbouring country's premier announced $ 1 billion line of credit for a range of projects.
They include railway infrastructure, supply of locomotives and passenger coaches, renewal of Saidpur workshop, procurement of buses including articulate buses and dredging.
Official sources said Dhaka and New Delhi have recently estimated around $70 million to upgrade the Ashuganj port, renovate road and construct bypasses over rivers and canals from Ashuganj to Akhaura.
After a joint survey by experts from both the countries, construction of a container port and a jetty at Ashuganj at a cost of $36.2 million has been finalised.
Officials said a joint team from the two countries surveyed the entire 49-km road in the first week of April and recommended construction of the Ashuganj-Sarail-Brahmanbaria-Sultanpur-Akhaura-Sonardi road.
And the cost of building the road and 16 bridge-bypasses has been estimated at $33 million.
An Indian loan of $1 billion will meet these two expenses, officials said. Besides, India also agreed to provide loan for buying dredgers.
The projects are now under examination at the planning ministry for final approval. The finance ministry is working on the modalities of the $1 billion credit.
According to communications ministry officials, the existing road is not enough to take the loads of huge 28 to 36 wheeled cargoes that weigh up to 360 tonnes.
And 16 different bridges from Ashuganj to Akhaura are also not capable of bearing the loads of the vehicles.
Besides, it is required to construct sixteen bypass bridges on rivers and canals from Ashuganj to Akhaura. Of the 49-km road, seven such bypasses will have to be constructed on Ashuganj-Sultanpur road and nine on Sultanpur-Akhaura road.
Talking to The Daily Star, a top-ranking shipping ministry official said at least six months' time is required to renovate the 49-km road and construct the bridge bypasses.
As per the decision reached during Sheikh Hasina's visit, an agreement was signed between the two countries under which Ashuganj in Bangladesh and Silghat in India were declared ports of call.