DNCC LED project caught in a limbo

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Shahed Shafiq
Published : 07:00, Feb 28, 2020 | Updated : 07:00, Feb 28, 2020

The LED light project approved by ECNEC to illuminate Dhaka is still languishing since the project has not been implemented in Dhaka North City Corporation.
The project worth Tk. 4.42 billion was passed on Feb 14, 2017 and under the project, 5000 cc cameras and 39600 LED lights were supposed to be installed.
The government was supposed to give Tk. 3.54 billion , DNCC Tk. 884.3 billion and Tk 9.54 billion from the World Bank.
The tenure of the project was from January 2018 till December with the price of each light fixed between Tk. 60 and Tk. 70 thousand.
The then mayor of DNCC Anisul Huq took some time to look for high technology lights and began the procedure to import them from Germany. But before the process ended, he became ill. But afterwards, with several panel mayors taking charge, the project stalled.
Meanwhile, the plan for 5000 cc cameras was struck off.
Dhaka South City Corporation, DSCC, brought lights from China and began installing them. For DNCC, only 3343 lights were installed and now a proposal has been made to increase the tenure of the project.
DNCC sources say that the agency which bought the lights have brought 150 watt lights at a cost of Tk. 47,000 and the 120 watt at Tk. 43,000.
DNCC has also asked for additional allotment since the tenure has to be extended.
Reportedly, the elected mayor of DNCC, Atiqul Islam raised questions about the quality of the light.
The minister for local government Tajul Islam, said: “the project will get approval within a short time and soon Dhaka north will be illuminated like Dhaka south.”
Former panel mayor, Mostafa Jamal observed: “We did not have power to take a big decision and so the project was caught in a limbo.”

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