Industrial sprawl won’t be allowed
Stressing the importance of planned development in urban and rural areas, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said one would not be allowed to construct a building or set up an industry anywhere just because he has money.
“We don’t want to let anyone do that. We are setting up 100 economic zones. The BSCIC industrial estates, established by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, will be expanded. We will carry on industrialising the country in a planned way. Everything, including schools and colleges, will be set up in a planned way,” she said.
The PM was addressing a programme in the city’s Eskaton Garden area marking the inauguration of new residential buildings for ministers, senior secretaries, secretaries and grade-I officials of the government.
Requesting the architects to design buildings keeping in mind the climate and weather of the country, she said the government wants to formulate a masterplan for every mega city, district, and upazila, and it is working accordingly.
She mentioned that there would be croplands, playgrounds and recreational places apart from accommodation facilities. “We have to build each village with modern facilities.”
Hasina said the government was providing all sorts of facilities to public servants for the sake of the county’s development.
“We have arranged loans for them to purchase flats, we have arranged a system so that they could buy vehicles, we have arranged various facilities for them in all aspects,” she said.
Talking about providing better accommodation for those staying in shanties, the PM said the government was constructing 533 flats for them in the city’s Mirpur. Besides, over 16,500 flats would be built elsewhere.
“We will provide them with flats on rent basis so that they can pay their rents either daily or weekly, or monthly, but they have to pay for it.”
She put emphasis on keeping and preserving wetlands and ponds.
“Ponds cannot be filled up. Once there were many ponds in Dhaka city, but those have been filled up... this cannot be done anymore.”
Hasina also urged everyone to maintain austerity in using power, water and keep their respective areas clean.
The PM said she has already given instructions to increase accommodation facilities for government officials and employees to 40 percent in Dhaka, which was only 8 percent in 2014.
“We’ll build 6,350 flats under 16 projects of the housing and public works ministry. Allocations have been made for building 1,674 more flats under 13 other projects.”
Hasina mentioned that construction of 398 flats in 20 abandoned houses in the capital’s Gulshan, Dhanmondi and Mohammadpur areas and 1,824 flats and 64 dormitories in 51 abandoned houses in Chattogram is going on. Besides, initiatives have been taken to build 317 flats by acquiring 15 more abandoned houses.
She said her government has already taken initiatives to build 2,816 dormitories in 64 districts to increase the housing facilities for public servants.
Hasina later visited one of the three buildings built for grade-I officials on Eskaton Garden Road in the city.
A video documentary on the seven projects was also screened at the function.
The housing and public works ministry and Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha constructed the buildings in different parts of the city.
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