The government has undertaken a project on rural infrastructure development in Pirojpur district to attract tourists and boost the rural economy.
In this regard, an official of the Planning Commission said that processing of the project has already been completed, and is expected to be presented at the next meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).
If approved, the project will be implemented by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) at the cost of Tk 600 crore between this year and June 2025. Zakir Hossain Akand,
Member (Secretary) of Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Institutions Department of the Planning Commission, who is in charge of the project, said, if rural roads are developed and maintained, transportation cost will be reduced and quality of life will be improved through uninterrupted communication.
In addition, the Growth Center will play a helpful role in marketing of agricultural products through the construction of Grameen Hat, he mentioned.
This will create employment opportunities locally in the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, he said adding that, on these considerations, the project has been recommended to be presented to ECNEC.
The main activities of the project include 22.67 km upazila road development, 57.33 km union road development, 368.29 km rural road development, 732 km rural road bridge construction, rural road culvert construction, 76.93 km road maintenance, and construction of 19 hat bazaars.
According to the project concerned sources, 448.29 km of roads in Pirojpur district will be paved under this project, which will bring a huge change in the overall communication system of the district.
Not only that, for the rural people, travel facilities to markets, health centers, educational institutions and other service providers will also be increased.
This will increase the standard of living of the locals. At the same time, it is hoped that employment opportunities will be created in the short and long term.
According to the local government department, there are 4,767 kilometers of registered rural roads in Pirojpur.
The length of unpaved roads is 2,813 kilometers. Moreover, the district has a lot of rivers, so there is a lack of infrastructure, cyclones and tidal surges are a daily companion and thus it is lagging behind in terms of infrastructure development.
If the project is implemented, the communication system will be easier through the development of rural communication infrastructure in the area.
In addition, employment opportunities for the poor will be created by expanding economic activities in the project area through development of Growth Centers and rural hat-bazaars.
