The construction of the new 12-billion-baht parliament building in Kiak Kai has fallen behind schedule because of a long delay in the handover of land purchased for the site, Democrat MP Boonyod Sukthinthai said on Monday.
Mr Boonyod, spokesman for the House affairs committee, said the construction of the new parliament in Bangkok’s Dusit district progressed by only 0.34% during the 88 days between June 8 and Sept 3, since contracts for the build were signed.
According to plans for the scheme, the project should have progressed 3.84% in that period.
He said the delays were partly caused by the fact that only 47 rai of a 90 rai due to be handed over to the contractor had been released.
The handover of land from several organisations has fallen behind schedule – by 436 days for land from Yothin Burana School, by 130 days for land from the Army Transport School, by 338 days for the Army Transport School’s living quarters, and by 60 days for land from the Water Transport Company, the MP said.
Mr Boonyod said the delays had caused almost 200 million baht damage to the scheme – 145 million baht paid for project consultant firm CAMA and construction supervisor ATTA Consortium, and 55.1 million baht for the expenses on a building rented by the House Secretariat.
He said Parliament President Somsak Kiatsuranont, House secretary-general Suwichak Nakvacharach, and Senate Speaker Nikhom Wairatpanich, chairman of the committee for coordination and supervision of the construction, are all responsible for closely monitoring the project to make sure work progresses as scheduled.
“Mr Somsak, the Parliament President, must be held responsible for the damage made. He should not only be concentrating on parliament meetings to amend the constitution,” Mr Boonyod said.
The project is earmarked to be completed by Oct, 18 2015.
Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/368802/new-parliament-build-falls-behind-schedule
