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Payra Bridge has eased traffic on the Barisal-Patuakhali highway. In 2016 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the foundation stone of this bridge, the construction work was completed in 2021 and it was opened for general on 24 October.
However, two-thirds of the money collected from the toll of the "Payra Bridge" built with modern technology on the Payra River in Patuakhali has been alleged to have been looted. Although the toll of the bridge has been collected digitally, this technology still could not prevent the looting of money.
Since the inauguration of the bridge, the Patuakhali Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has continued to loot money. In view of such allegations, the Chief Engineer of Patuakhali RHD asked A M Atiqullah for information in writing on June 6 ‘23, but he has not given any reply till date.
Later, when asked to the engineer, he claimed - "From October ‘21 to June ‘22, 8 crore 49 lakh 77 thousand and from July ‘22 to June ‘23, 13 crore 63 lakh 15 thousand 795 taka have been collected. But the source says that two to two and a half times toll has been collected from Payra Bridge than the information provided by RHD.
RHD was asked for information several times to know about this, but they avoided the issue with various strategies. When the engineer was asked for information once again on February 14, he suggested for a re-application and claimed that he had not received the previous application.
Regarding the loot of two-thirds of the tolls, he told the reporter - "The information you have got is totally up to you. You have to understand all the situation before saying something about me. Due to which various information related to Payra Bridge is still unavailable.
According to related sources, on May 19, 2013, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the foundation stone of the "Payra Bridge" on the Payra River adjacent to the Lebukhali Ferry Ghat under the Patuakhali District of the Dhaka- Kuakata highway, and the work began in July 2016. PM inaugurated the bridge on October 24, when the construction work was completed in 2021, and traffic started on the bridge. "Payra Bridge" is built on the model of Karnaphuli Bridge of Chittagong.
The four-lane 1,268-metre-long approach road bridge cost about Tk 1,447 crore. The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) and OPEX Fund provided 82 percent of the cost. However, RHD is reluctant to say whether this supply of foreign money is a loan or a grant. Prior to this, on March 4, 2021, Fahmida Haque Khan, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Roads and Bridges, issued a communique to determine the toll of vehicles crossing the bridge. As per the communique, the toll is in force.
According to the sources that after the opening of the bridge, Patuakhali RHD appointed a contractor company named MM Builders to collect the toll. When the general transportation started, the charge of misappropriation along with embezzlement of extra money without using the weight scale in the case of crossing over loaded vehicles was filed against RHD. When a national daily reported on the mismanagement of the bridge on January 19, 2022; RHD started using the weight scale.
Even though the tolls increased, financial corruption did not stop still. According to another RHD has been collecting tolls from the beginning using the operation maintenance method. Although the toll was collected in digital mode, two-thirds of the money was shared between the concerned parties. Also, the toll collection agencies and workers used to take the money between themselves.
According to various investigations and sources, Patuakhali bridge built on the Laukathi river adjacent to Patuakhali town is collecting an average toll of around tk. 1 crore monthly, which stands at around 11 crore Taka annually. According to the communique of the Ministry of Roads and Bridges, 242.51 percent more toll is being collected at Payra Bridge than that of Patuakhali Bridge. However, Patuakhali RHD is depositing tolls of Payra Bridge depositing in the treasury keeping balance with Patuakhali Bridge.
Sources also say that a contractor company is collecting an average of Tk 75-70 thousand tolls from Baga Ferry Ghat on Patuakhali-Bauphal road after incidental expenses. Which on an average stands at around 2.5 million rupees per year. Also, all the vehicles on Galachipa-Baufal-Dasmina route have to cross Payra Bridge to go to their destination. According to the sources, the vehicles crossing the Baga ferry crossing have to pay three times the toll compared to the ferry. Which is about 8 crores per year.
Conforming to the source, a contractor company is collecting an average of Tk 75-70 thousand tolls from Baga Ferry Ghat on Patuakhali- Bauphal road after incidental expenses. Which on an average stands at around 25 crore taka per year. Also, all the vehicles on Galachipa- Baufal- Dasmina route have to cross Payra Bridge to go to their destination. According to the sources, the vehicles crossing the Baga ferry crossing have to pay three times the toll compared to the ferry. Which is about 8 crore taka per year.
According to RHD, Payra Bridge has 242.51 percent more toll than Patuakhali Bridge and 635.05 percent more than that of Baga Ferry Crossing. Apart from incidental expenses, the contractor company is collecting about 19 crore tolls from Patuakhali and Baga ferries every year. Two and a half to triple tolls are being collected compared to that of Patuakhali Bridge and Baga Ferry tolls.
But the Patuakhali RHD claimed in the information on July 17 last year, 13,63,15,795 taka in the fiscal year 2022-23 and after the inauguration of the bridge from October ‘21 to June 2022, around 8,49,77,000 taka toll has been collected. Meanwhile, an official of Patuakhali RHD said that an organization called CMS is currently collecting Tk 7 lakh per day from Payra Bridge through operation and maintenance method. Which stands at around 25 crore 55 lakh taka every year.
Pursuant to sources, the then officers and employees of Patuakhali RHD have looted most of the money and the loot is still going with special tactics. The toll collection CMS organization appointed by Patuakhali RHD is getting 16 percent of toll collection as per conditions. According to inner source, when a conflict arose between the company and the RHD officials over the sharing of toll money, RHD terminated the contract of AM Builders and appointed CMS.
Another source and research claims that when the information about the conflict and tolls between RHD was asked, on August 9, 2023, the sub-divisional engineer of Patuakhali RHD, Rakibul Jahangir submitted a report regarding Payra Bridge toll. In that report it is shown that on 5th August 2023 5,33,260 taka, on 6th August 4,66,955 taka and on 7th August 3,94,125 taka including total collection of 13,94,340 taka has been showed.
In addition, to cover the financial corruption of the toll, on August 26, 2023, the then supervising engineer of Patuakhali RHD Masud Khan formed an inquiry committee under the coordination of Prakash Chandra Biswas, sub-divisional engineer of Barguna RHD. Also, on October 31 of that year, Souz conducted an audit for the sake. Sources says RHD conducted investigations and audits to cover up their financial corruption. RHD is unwilling to talk to the media about this investigation-audit.
In this regard, calls and SMS were sent to the mobile phone used to communicate with the then supervising engineer of Patuakhali RHD, Md. Masud Khan, but he did not response to them. Later, Attempts were taken to contact the current supervising engineer of Patuakhali RHD Masood Karim and additional chief engineer of Barisal zone AKM Azad Rahman but none of them did not any respond.
Messenger/Sajib
