The government has allocated Tk 395 billion (Tk39,573 crore) for local government and rural development (LGRD}ministry in the proposed budget offiscal year (FY) 2020-21 with huge plans to expand urban facilities to rural areas and to expand rural roads network, construct bridge/culvert and climate resilient core road network.
The allocation is 7.0 per cent of the total budget outlay of Tk 5.68 trillion.
"I propose to allocate Tk. 39,573 crore for the local government and rural development sector in FY 2020-21, which is Tk. 37,886 crore in the current fiscal year 2019-20," finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said in his budget speech Thursday.
In his speech, the minister said that as part of this, a total of 5,550 kilometres of new roads and a total of 31000 metres bridge/culvert extension on these roads will be built in the rural sector, including the expansion of climate resilient core road network, in FY 2020-21 to make them suitable for our evolving middle income economy.
With the development of roads, the country's road network coverage will increase from 35.75 per cent to 36.75 per cent.
In addition to these development works in rural areas, targets have been set to construct 830 kilometres roads and footpaths, 250 kilometres drains and three thousand metres bridges/culverts in small and big cities. Following the implementation of all these infrastructural development works, direct employment for 12 crore man-hour, and a huge opportunity for indirect employment will be created.
Maintenance work for 13,500 kilometers of pitched road and 3,800 metres bridges/culverts will also be done during this period to sustain already constructed rural road infrastructures. In addition, a total of 195 growth centres/haat-bazars will be developed to increase agricultural and non-agricultural outputs by stimulating rural economy, creating job opportunities and influencing supply chains.
To strengthen the activities of local government, 65 upazila complex buildings together with 100 union parishad buildings will be constructed. A total of 140 cyclone shelters will also be built in coastal areas.
Keeping these ideas in mind, the government, in its Election Manifesto, 2018, made a commitment under the concept of 'My Village -My Town' to expand town-based facilities to all villages.
"The commitment to increase rural road network coverage from 35 per cent to 35.75 per cent is being implemented fully. Mentionably, in the last eleven years from 2009 until February 2020, a total of 62,149 kilometres of rural roads have been built. This covers construction of 93.84 per cent of upazila roads, 79.32 per cent of union roads and 20 per cent of rural roads," the minister said in his speech.
