Padma Bridge was inaugurated five months ago. Vehicles are moving through this bridge. An average of two crore rupees is being earned from toll every day. However, the Padma Bridge project is still ongoing. The work of river management is not over. In this situation, the cost of another phase of the project is increasing by about two and a half thousand crore rupees.

Currently, the total cost of the Padma Bridge project is estimated at 30 thousand 193 crores. After the new revision, it will increase to about 32 thousand 638 crores. That is, the cost is increasing by 2 thousand 445 crores. At the time of approval of the first project in 2007, the cost was estimated at Tk 10,162 crore.

According to sources in the bridge department, the reasons behind the increase in costs are – increase in some works, increase in tax on income of contractors and VAT on goods, increase in value of dollar, river erosion, shifting of ferries, increase in salaries of consultants due to non-completion of work on time, purchase and design of equipment for bridges. some corrections. Apart from this, about 89 crore rupees have been spent for the inauguration ceremony of Padma Bridge.

The project authority has made a list of the need to increase the cost of the project due to some reason. Sources say that most of the additional costs that have been estimated have already been spent. Now it is being officially added through project revision. Some work will be done in the future. The final revision of the project proposal will be done by adding its cost.

The Padma Bridge project is valid till next June. However, the construction period ended last June. The contractor’s settlement and minor repair period or Defect Liability Period (DLP) are now underway. However, as the river management work was not completed on time, it (DLP) is being extended by one more year. The bridge department has prepared an amendment proposal for the project in this regard. It will be sent to the Planning Commission for approval.

In this regard, the secretary of the bridge department. Manjur Hossain told Prothom Alo that the project revision proposal has come to him. However, he advised to contact the director of Padma Setu project to know more about this matter.

Project Director. Shafiqul Islam said that the total expenditure may increase. However, he refused to give details. He told Prothom Alo that money has been saved in some projects. Some work has to be spent extra. However, a major part of the additional expenditure was received by the government as VAT-tax. It has to be paid due to a change in the law.