RCC announces budget with focus on infrastructure

Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton yesterday declared Tk 547.18 crore budget for the 2019-20 fiscal, with major focus on infrastructural development.  

In his speech at Rajshahi Nagar Bhaban auditorium, the mayor informed that the city corporation has proposed to the government for approving a Tk 2,995.11 crore project for development of road networks and another worth Tk 2,973.38 crore for the city’s infrastructural development.

However, of the 32 development plans for the city that he elaborated on, only one was for the city’s underprivileged populace.

Replying to a question in this regard, the mayor said many of their development activities for the development of the poor and marginalised people were not mentioned in the plans. He claimed various projects worth Tk 800 crore are going on for the development of deprived communities.

The city corporation had built 227 houses and provided Tk 4 crore loans from the Community Housing Development Fund for the poor and destitute, the mayor said.

Although a digital traffic signalling system -- installed in the city in the late 90s -- never came to any use, the city corporation has planned a Tk 895.40 crore project on traffic signalling.

It has also planned a Tk 795.80 crore project for protection and development of natural waterbodies in the city, and a waste management project worth Tk 492.08 crore.

The city corporation plans to spend some Tk 511.09 crore for building an eco-park on Padma river bank, and Tk 511.09 crore for building a science city and safari park.

The mayor said he has lobbied with the government for capital dredging of river Padma, and initiating a process of establishing an international river port in Rajshahi.