Tk 5,132 crore projects as per MPs’ demand
The government is going to repair religious establishments and build new bridges across the country following longstanding demands from lawmakers.
Under two separate projects worth over Tk 5,132 crore, 17,321 mosques, temples and pagodas will be renovated, while bridges will be constructed in 35 districts of eight divisions.
The move comes with the next parliamentary elections barely a year and half away.
Similar projects were taken up by the ruling Awami League ahead of the 11th parliamentary election in 2017, shows the planning ministry data.
The religious buildings will be revamped under a Tk 1,082 crore project titled "General Social Infrastructure Development Project (GSIDP-2)", and the bridges built under Tk 4,050 crore project titled "Construction of Important Bridges on Rural Roads-Second Phase".
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved 12 projects worth about Tk 15,744.56 crore yesterday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
She joined the meeting virtually from the Gono Bhaban, while ministers, state ministers, planning commission members and secretaries concerned were present at the NEC conference room in the capital.
The Ecnec also approved a Tk 2,555.25 crore project to enhance the capacity of local government bodies in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, alongside strengthening their preparedness in facing future shocks.
The World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) will finance about Tk 2,544 crore in the four-year-long "Local Government Covid-19 Response and Recovery (LGCRR)" project.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said lawmakers have been demanding the renovation of religious establishments and construction of bridges in their respective areas.
"Hundreds of applications were filed… The Ecnec has taken those into consideration," he said, adding that one bridge will be built in his area in Sunamganj.
"A representative has to comply with the locals' demands. The list of the bridges [to be built] is prepared based on the needs of the local constituents."
About the religious houses, Mannan said, "There are sentiments linked to this issue. That's why it has been taken into consideration."
The project to renovate religious structures is the second phase of the GSIDP project taken up in 2017, following the lawmakers' demand.
The first phase is still going on, with 96 percent of the work completed. The tenure of this phase ends in June 2022.
The second phase will commence in July and end in June 2025. Only religious buildings in villages will only be renovated under this phase.
"The project will play an important role in strengthening social bonding," said the planning commission in its observation.
Meanwhile, bridges with an accumulated length of 17,687 meters would be built under the bridge-construction project. Besides, 38,800m-long approach roads would be constructed.
There will also be river administration work under the project with a deadline is set for December 2026, according to the project document.
The project will improve the rural communications system, ease transportation of agriculture and non-agricultural goods and generate employments.
The Local Government Engineering Department will implement both projects.
On January 10, 2017, the Ecnec approved "Construction of Important Bridges on Rural Roads" at the cost of Tk 3,926.76 crore.
Meanwhile, Tofail Ahmed, local government expert, asked, "Why does the government need to spend money on religious institutions? Devotees are there to look after those. From a religious point of view, spending money for political purpose is not good either... Water management is more essential than bridge and road construction. The government needs to fix its priorities first."
LGCRR PROJECT
Mannan said the LGCRR project will be implemented in some 10 city corporations and 329 municipalities, with a deadline set for December 2025.
The project aims to strengthen urban local government institutions to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic and improve preparedness for future shocks, benefitting around 40 million urban residents, according to the WB.
It will support labour intensive public works to restore the livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable people, mostly working in the informal sector, who were most affected by restrictions and lockdowns.
Eligible urban local bodies will install community hand-washing stations and toilets; and improve sanitisation in municipality-owned or -operated markets, burial grounds, and public offices.
It will create 1.5 million days of temporary work as well as employment for 10,000 women under the public work scheme.
The project will also help local government institutions improve preparedness for climate impacts, disaster, and future disease outbreaks, said the WB.
Other projects approved include procurement of 200 broad gauge passenger carriages for Bangladesh Railway; supplying water through rainwater harvest in coastal districts; establishing an Air Force Training Institute at Zohurul Haque Base in Chattogram; improving governance and management research and training facilities; upgrading three regional highways and three district highways under Naogaon Road Department; establishing an external telecommunication network for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant; and establishing a seed multiplication farm at south-eastern region of Bangladesh.
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