Delay, cost-overrun plague textiles and jute ministry projects
A total of 25 projects related to infrastructure building of educational institutions under the textile and jute ministry are underway. Of the projects, 17 were not completed on time. The tenure of these projects was extended one or multiple times. Repeated extension of the projects led to cost overrun.
he estimated cost of these 17 projects was Tk 18.53 billion, which increased by Tk 1.11 billion due to failure to complete these on time.
The national parliament’s committee on estimates expressed dissatisfaction over repeated increase in project time and cost. The committee said procrastination in completion led to decrease in quality of work and hindered the objective of the project.
The committee on estimates discussed the ongoing projects of the textiles and jute ministry last March. The ministry in the meeting presented the data of headway in these projects. 15 of these projects were related to infrastructure building of educational institutes.
Sources from the committee on estimates said the committee suggested the projects be divided into parts upon discussion with the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED). The committee suggested that the relevant authorities fix issues such as how many projects can be implemented in current and next years, if there is any unnecessary project in the list and how beneficial are the projects that already saw cost overrun.
Projects that saw delay and cost overrun
According to the information provided by the ministry, a project to open Sunamganj Textiles Institute was taken in 2017. The project got Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approval on 25 April that year. The project was supposed to be completed in June, 2020. By this time, the project was revised twice and extended twice. The project’s completion deadline has been renewed to June this year but it saw 76 per cent progress in last January. The estimated cost of the project has increased to T 1.26 billion which was Tk 970 million initially.
Sheikh Rasel Textile Engineering College project was taken up in 2017 and was supposed to be completed in December, 2023. This project was revised once and extended thrice with increase in cost. This project is now supposed to be completed in June, 2025 with an increase of cost by Tk 200 million to Tk 1.3 billion.
Sources said the parliamentary committee in the meeting said delay in completion led to decrease in quality of work and hinder the objective of the project.
Projects such as Sylhet Textile Institute, Lalmonirhat Textile Institute, Sheikh Hasina Textile Engineering College in Madaripur, development of existing seven textile vocational institutes and establishment of six new textile vocational institutes, establishment of Ajijunnesa Textile Vocational Institute in South Sunamganj, Textile Vocational Institute in Meherpur, Late Abdur Rob Talukdar Textile Vocational Institute in Madaripur, Textile Vocational Institute in Sunamganj’s Jagannathpur, Textile Vocational Institute in Nazirpur, Sukanta Babu Textile Vocational Institute in Barishal’s Gournadi saw extension of time and cost overrun. Five training centers, one fashion design institute and two market promotion centers under Bangladesh Handloom Board also saw project extension and cost overrun.
Jute and textiles ministry’s secretary Md Abdur Rouf told Prothom Alo that the Covid pandemic, price hike of materials after work order and other reasons led to extension and cost overrun of the projects. Now the projects will be implemented as per the directives of the parliamentary committee on estimates.
Sources said the parliamentary committee in the meeting said delay in completion led to decrease in quality of work and hinder the objective of the project. The committee also suggested that the project deadline should be fixed considering all aspects of the projects instead of extending the projects later.
Former education secretary Nazrul Islam Khan told Prothom Alo that not appointing appropriate persons as project directors, delay in approval and finance are some reasons behind failure to end projects on time. These issues should be considered before taking up projects.
He also suggested the projects related to textiles and jute should be innovative.