Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation AHM Khairuzzaman Liton has said the closed Rajshahi Textile Mills and Rajshahi Silk Factory would resume operations soon aiming at creating job opportunities and revitalising the traditional silk sector.
Necessary steps have already been taken to this end, he said.
The mayor was addressing a ceremony organised on the occasion of the laying foundation stone of office building of Rajshahi Stadium Traders Association here yesterday.
Terming the unemployment problem the main obstacle to development of the region, he said its economy could not be bolstered due to the problem and added that Rajshahi city is lagging behind in all sectors.
To overcome the crisis, he said the city corporation has undertaken an uplift project involving Tk 72 crore for the disadvantaged areas and hoped that civic facilities would be enhanced in the areas on successful implementation of the project.
Steps have also been taken to expand the city towards the northern side, he added.
Chaired by stadium traders' association President Sheikh Muhammad Rejaur Rahman Dulal, the ceremony was addressed, among others, by President of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Abu Bakker Ali, General Secretary of Rajshahi District Sports Association Imtiaz Ahmed Shamsul Huda and RCC Ward Councillor Nuruzzaman Tito.
The mayor also shared his views with the central committee members of Bangabandhu Engineers Council (BEC) at his City Bhaban office and said that his main objective is to take the Rajshahi city ahead with a collective effort.
He said the government has already allocated Tk 121 crore for development of the city, and implementation works against the allocated money would start soon.
He also said a plan of Vision-2018 was adopted to take the metropolis forward and development project proposals were formulated in line with the vision through consultation with cross-sections of people. In this context, he said Bangladesh Water Development Board has built a big playground at Talainary on the bank of the river Padma after constructing embankment.
It will construct one kilometre more embankment during the current fiscal year and the Department of Public Health Engineering is setting up a river-water treatment plant in Shayampur area for supplying safe drinking water to the city dwellers, the mayor said.
He also said water supply would be better on successful implementation of the project's second phase.
The roads from Kalpona Crossing to Talaimary and from Railway Gate to Saheb Bazar would be widened and funds for the Railway Gate-Shaheb Bazar road have already been allocated for the development of the city's road system, he added.
BEC President Prof Dr Nazrul Islam and General Secretary Mesbahur Rahman Tutul were present.