Over-allocation of resources in mega-projects

Awhopping one-fifth of the forthcoming fiscal year's total development budget has been set aside for six fast-track projects. That is, out of the Tk 1,53,331 crore Annual Development Programme (ADP) expenditure slated for the next financial year, Tk 30,614 crore is to be spent on six projects only — Padma Bridge, Padma Rail Link, Metro Rail, Dohazari-Cox's Bazar-Gundum Rail Project, Matarbari Coal-fired Power Plant and Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

What is surprising is that out of the Tk 15,986 crore allocated for the same projects in the current fiscal year, the government managed to spend a meagre Tk 4,547 crore only. After failing to spend even half the allocated amount, the government has, strangely enough, decided to nearly double it for next year which makes no logical sense.

Despite the high allocation, progress of these projects has been awfully slow, with no physical work or very little being done in some cases. This indicates that it is not a lack of fund that is the problem, but rather the inability to absorb them and the government's lack of capacity to get such large-scale development work done quickly. Meanwhile, infrastructure maintenance has been woefully inadequate, perhaps due to a lack of funds, causing all kinds of sufferings for citizens.

Instead of allocating amounts that it cannot absorb into a handful of projects, the government would be better advised to develop its own capacity to handle such projects. While doing so, it can also easily allocate the funds that it regularly fails to put to use for better maintaining the existing infrastructure, making life a lot easier for citizens, businesses, etc.