BSS
Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has constructed more than 8,681.04-kilometer concrete roads in rural areas of all eight districts under Rajshahi division in the last 10 years.
More than 1,565.39-kilometer rural roads were brought under routine maintenance side by side with construction of 8.09-kilometer above 100-meter big bridges and 35.20-kilometer bridges and culverts.
Rafiqul Islam, Additional Chief Engineer-in-Charge of LGED, told BSS here that implementation of the schemes have a great impact on enhancing the accessibility of the rural people to the markets and economic opportunities in the region leading to uplifting their living and livelihood condition.
Salient features of the schemes are to increase rural income and reduce rural poverty through sustainable economic growth, social and gender development and improving infrastructure in the area.
The infrastructures have widened the access to markets and economic opportunities. It will also boost the earnings, access to basic services like health and education of the rural poor.
With infrastructure development of the selected area, rural communication
network has been improved facilitating overall socio-economic advancement.
A total of 1416 schemes were implemented for infrastructure improvement,
renovation and maintenance of primary schools. New primary school buildings
were constructed where there was no school. An engineering and survey
institute has been built at Nawdapara in Rajshahi city.
The schemes were undertaken to increase the national literacy rate through
enhancing education facilities at the schools located in remote villages.
Complex buildings of 167 union parishads and 28 upazila parishads were
constructed. Implementations of these schemes have in fact started
furthermore strengthening the overall activities of local government bodies
at the grassroots level.
Besides, 51,138-hectare micro-irrigation infrastructure, 16 rubber dams,
128.17-kilometer canal and 10.50-kilometer embankment were constructed.
Roadside tree plantation activities on the 607.87-kilometer improved roads
have been completed successfully that will ultimately help reduce carbon
emission to a substantial level.
In addition to implementation of 302 housing schemes for the landless and
distressed Freedom Fighters, 46 Upazila Freedom Fighters Complex buildings
were constructed. Seven historical sites of the Great War of Liberation were
conserved.
In addition to development of 357 universal social infrastructures, some
109 growth centres (hat-bazars) were improved to create short and long-term
employment opportunity, socio-economic development and poverty alleviation.
The village markets have various necessary privileges like paved trading
areas, sheds, improved water supply system, adequate drainage and sanitation
facilities and market offices.
As a whole, the improvement of the physical facilities of rural markets
ensure fair price of agricultural products and thereby provide incentives to
increase agricultural production, assist enhancement of rural economic and
commercial activities.
Engineer Islam mentioned that the rural level improved infrastructures have
already started reducing transport cost, improving marketing system,
increasing production and marketing facilities of agricultural products which
are contributing a lot to socio-economic development in the region.
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