RAJSHAHI, Dec 5, 2022 (BSS)- Construction works of 1,696.66-kilometer rural roads together with 1.538-kilometer bridges and culverts are going on in full-swing aimed at socio-economic uplift of the region through overall rural infrastructure development.
 
Scheduled works of the project are progressing fast in Rajshahi division at present.
Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has been implementing the project titled ‘Rajshahi Division Rural Infrastructure Development (Excluding Sirajganj District)’.

Specific objectives of the project are to improve rural communication networks to facilitate farm and non-farm economy and to upgrade the life standard of rural people through providing easier and quicker access to basic service delivery centers like schools and hospitals.

K.M Zulfeker Ali, Additional Chief Engineer, said they are constructing 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 under a five-year project.

The Tk 2,080.40-crore project is being implemented in 58 upazilas in Pabna, Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, Bogra and Joypurhat districts.

It has also provision of constructing 46 growth centres, 250-meter school connecting roads, 396.83-meter culverts and 33.28-kilometer RCC roads,” Engineer Zulfeker said, adding that 327.59-kilometer roads are being widened, while 171.07-kilometer village roads and 240.45-kilometer upazila roads are being repaired.

Moreover, infrastructure developments of different rural markets are being ensured, he also said.

The improved infrastructures will reduce transport cost, develop marketing systems, increase production and marketing facilities of agricultural products, which will contribute a lot to socioeconomic development in the region, he added.
 
Zulfeker Ali continued that a tree plantation programme is being 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 Zulfeker Ali 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, 2023.

With infrastructure development of the selected area, the rural communication network has been improved facilitating overall socio-economic advancement.

Jahangir Alam, Chairman of Godagari upazila Parishad, said physical bottleneck towards improving rural accessibility coupled with enhancing the sustainability of rural transport and market services has started removing to a greater extent as a result of implementation of the project.

As a whole, the project has been contributing enormously to raising the standard of living and livelihood conditions in the remote villages, he said.

Improvement of rural infrastructure always helpful towards easing and improving living and livelihood condition of the rural public in general, said Associate Professor Tariqul Islam of the Department of Economics in Rajshahi University.