Construction works of 1,696.66-kilometre rural roads together with 1.538-kilometre bridges and culverts are being progressed in Rajshahi division to foster overall rural infrastructure development.
Specific objectives of the project are to improve rural communication network to facilitate farm and non-farm economy and to upgrade life standard of rural people through providing easier and quicker access to basic service delivery centers like schools and hospitals.
“We will construct 172.9 kilometres of upazila roads with 140-meter bridges, 367.76 kilometres of Union roads with 636-meter bridges and 1,156 kilometres of village roads, including 762-meter bridges under a five-year project”, said Nayeem Uddin Mian, Director of the project.
He said Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has been implementing the project titled ‘Rajshahi Division Rural Infrastructure Development (Excluding Sirajgonj District)’ since October, 2017. The project is being implemented at 58 upazilas in Pabna, Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, Bogra and Joypurhat districts.
It has also provision of constructing 46 growth centres, 250-metre school connecting roads, 396.83-meter culverts and 33.28-kilometre RCC roads,” Engineer Nayeem said, adding that 327.59-kilometre roads will be widened and 171.07-kilometre village roads and 240.45-kilometre upazila roads will be repaired.
Moreover, infrastructure development of different rural markets will be
ensured, he also said. The improved infrastructures will reduce transport cost, develop marketing system, increase production and marketing facilities of agricultural products, which will contribute a lot to socioeconomic development in the region, he added.
Nayeem Mian continued that a tree plantation programme will be carried out along the roads which will ultimately help reduce carbon emission at a substantial level and that is very important to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change in the vast Barind tract.
The scheme of rural infrastructure development and creation of short- and long-term employment opportunities in the farm and non-farm sectors will reduce poverty by involving rural people in various economic and social activities.
Engineer Nayeem said rural people’s accessibility to village market, health centre, educational and other service-delivery institutions will be enhanced upon successful implementation of the project by June, 2022.
Improvement of rural infrastructure always helpful towards easing and improving living and livelihood condition of the rural public in general, said Professor Moazzem Hossain Khan of Department of Economics in Rajshahi University.
