City Desk :
Infrastructural development has infused dynamism into the living and livelihood conditions of rural people in the region, including its vast Barind tract, during the last ten to twelve years. The rural level improved infrastructures are contributing a lot towards socio-economic development through reducing transport cost, improving marketing system, increasing production and marketing facilities of agricultural products.
K.M Zulfeker Ali said they have constructed 8,710-kilometer concrete roads in all eight districts under Rajshahi division during the last five years, while works of 670-kilometer more are progressing fast at present, reports BSS. Ali, Additional Chief Engineer of Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), also said apart from bringing 966-kilometer roads under maintenance, bridges and culverts with length of 27.01-kilometer have been constructed. “We have constructed 10,457 classrooms in 2,246 government primary schools, including 305 with ramps, while works on 98 other schools are progressing,” he added.
Engineer Zulfeker Ali told BSS that five upazila complexes were built and works of 22 others are advancing. Besides, 122 union land offices have been constructed and works on 27 others are on the final stage. In addition to completion of construction works of ten ones, implementation works of 34 rural markets and growth centres are going on at present. Roadside tree plantation on both sides of the improved roads was done successfully that will ultimately help reduce carbon emission at a substantial level and that is very important to face the adverse impact of climate change in the vast Barind tract.
“I’m one of the direct beneficiaries of the improved infrastructures as these are helping me to earn extra money from farming outputs,” said Rafiqul Islam, a grassroots farmer of Idolpur village under Godagari upazila. He said many of the farmers are seen cultivating vegetables and fruits commercially and becoming financially solvent after the best uses of the improved infrastructures all as the modern technologies. Islam expressed gratitude to the government, particularly Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, for uplifting the rural roads for welfare of the public in general.
Engineer Zulfeker Ali said they are also implementing a Taka 2,080.40-crore project in the division. Construction works of 1,696.66-kilometer rural roads together with 1.538-kilometer bridges and culverts are going on in full-swing under the five-year project.
Besides, construction of 172.9 kilometers of upazila roads with 140-meter bridges, 367.76 kilometers of Union roads with 636-meter bridges and 1,156 kilometers of village roads, including 762-meter bridges, are going on. It has also provision of constructing 46 growth centres, 250-meter school connecting roads, 396.83-meter culverts and 33.28-kilometer RCC roads. Deputy Commissioner Abdul Jalil told BSS that 1,586 concrete roads and 300 culverts were constructed in 1,914 villages during the last five years on behalf of the Local Governance Support Project. Besides, 4,500 tube-wells and 170 submersible pumps were installed for ensuring safe drinking water.
He also said transparency and accountability in implementation of the grassroots level uplift project were ensured amid participation of local people.
Grassroots people have been availing scopes of improving their living and livelihood conditions as a result of implementing various demand-driven programmes by local government institutions.
Professor Pronab Kumar Pandey of the Department of Public Administration at Rajshahi University opined that the physical infrastructures are contributing enormously to raising standard of living and livelihood conditions besides boosting the level of confidence of the villagers. Improvement of rural communication networks, including roads, bridges, culverts and other Infrastructure, is very important to attain the cherished goal of strengthening the farm and non-farm economy. Upgrading the life standard of rural people through providing easier and quicker access to basic service delivery centers like schools, hospitals and village markets has also become visible.
Jahangir Alam, Chairman of Godagari Upazila Parishad, said the present government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given importance to the elevation of rural road network.
Many of the physical bottlenecks in terms of improving rural accessibility coupled with enhancing the sustainability of rural transport and market services have been removed to a greater extent.
As a whole, the improved transportation network is playing a vital role towards reducing the transportation cost and creating marketing facilities for the produce.
