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The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) will purchase eight vehicles for a project under which 28-kilometre district road in Tangail will be widened, officials said on Saturday.
They said it has proposed buying two expensive jeeps, two double cabin pickups, two backhoe loaders and two motor-cycles at a total cost of Tk 46.52 million.
Besides, the country's public sector road developer has also proposed purchasing fuel and oil for the vehicles at Tk 7.20 million, they said.
Officials said the department has proposed upgrading 27.80 kilometre-Bhuapur-Tarakandi district road at Tk 2.59 billion.
Out of the total project cost, the road developer will spend Tk 53.72 million for purchasing the vehicles and their fuels.
The department has recently sent a project proposal to the Planning Commission (PC) seeking approval for the road development scheme.
"The cost for the project seems to be higher. It has added some components with higher costs, which has escalated the price," said a senior commission official.
He said they were scrutinising the project proposal before presenting it to the Project Evaluation Committee (PEC).
According to the project proposal, the department will purchase two luxury jeeps, each of which will cost Tk 9.08 million.
Besides, it will purchase two double cabin pick-ups, each will cost Tk 6.0 million, two backhoe loaders, each will cost Tk 8.0 million, and two motor-cycles with Tk 0.18 million each.
A senior government official told the FE, "The cost-benefit ratio is less than 1.0. It means the project will not be economically viable."
According to the project proposal, the cost-benefit ratio of Bhuapur-Tarakandi road widening work is 0.60.
The official said the department has already been implementing two similar kinds of projects at the proposed project area where more vehicles would be purchased.
The ongoing two projects are: "Upgrading district highways into proper length and quality (Mymensingh zone)" and "Upgrading important regional roads into proper length and quality (Mymensingh zone)."
The RHD has proposed acquiring 2.61 hectares of land at Tk 342.78 million, for shifting utility services at Tk 2.0 million, for road maintenance during the project execution period at Tk 2.78 million, for planting trees at Tk 5.66 million, and Tk 170.15 million for earthen work.
The road developer has proposed Tk 25.37 million (1.0 per cent of the total project cost) as physical contingency, and Tk 25.37 million (1.0 per cent of total cost) for price contingency.
The RHD aims to widen the road by June 2021 aimed at ensuring smooth communications.