New Age: Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha will invite applications in January 2010 for some 1,000 residential plots under the Jhilmil housing project at Keraniganj on the outskirts of Dhaka.

‘We will invite applications in January 2010 from people intending to buy plots at the project site,’ Rajuk chairman Nurul Huda told New Age.

Rajuk in 1997 undertook the initiative for the project at Suvadda, Chunkatia and Teghria in Keraniganj to ease the housing problems of the city dwellers. The project, which has been revised thrice, is scheduled to be completed by 2011.

In 2001 and 2002 Rajuk invited applications for allotment of plots under the Jhilmil project after acquiring 381.19 acres of land and allotted 525 plots. However, the plots are yet to be handed over, according to the source.

Project director Anwar Hossain said some other 1,000 plots of different sizes would be allotted under the project and the development work was ‘going on in full swing.’

Rajuk is also planning to expand the project area by acquiring another 1,200 acres of land stretching up to Rajendrapur bazar, he said.

Basic Dredging Company Ltd, the project contractor, got the work order on 26 December, 2006 to complete earth-filling for the project by December 2008. But it has completed only 70 per cent of the work till date. Earth-filling is now expected to be complete by June 2010.

The government at first in May, 1998 estimated the project cost at Tk 136.17 crore, which was later revised to Tk 335.73 crore and approved on 27 April, 2005.

The authorities sent a second revised proposal of Tk 360 crore on 13 March, 2006 for the project but failed to get it approved. The Rajuk authorities have decided to increase the estimate in the third revised proposal to about Tk 500 crore, said another official of Rajuk.

He said the estimated cost had been increased as some new components like water treatment plants, waste treatment plants and methodological changes in earth-filling work have been included in the project.

Besides, Rajuk will also construct 20,280 flats in three categories – 1,001 to 1,200 square feet for 84 buildings, 801 to 1000 sq ft for 86 buildings and 600 to 800 sq ft for 13 buildings.