Estimating the equal income and the expenditure, Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation AHM Khairuzzaman Liton announced Tk 10,153,470, 100 proposed budget for the fiscal year 2023-'24 at a press conference held at the City Hall Room of RCC on Wednesday noon.
In the press conference, the RCC Mayor said, the City of Rajshahi with its one million residents has already been recognised locally and internationally as a Green, Clean, Environment-friendly, Educational and Healthy city. Such achievement has been possible due to relentless effort and full cooperation from the city people, RCC Councillors and the officials.
He said, his election manifesto of this year was' Development is visible and there will be employment generation now' and he pledged to create huge employment opportunities, remove the unemployment problems, and create entrepreneurs during the present tenure.
About the building of Smart Rajshahi City, the RCC Mayor said, according to the announcement of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Bangladesh will turn into a Smart and Developed Country by 2040, the project papers for building Smart Rajshahi have already been prepared. Accordingly, Rajshahi will be turned into a Smart City through 162 initiatives of 20 projects which will cost nearly Tm 10,000 crore. The implementation of the proposed project will start in 2024.
RCC Mayor further said, almost all city roads of 30 wards have been extended, alleys have been broadened and decorated with bright, coloured lights, drains have been built to remove water logging which will improve the city traffic and sewerage system abruptly.
Referring to the ongoing Development projects, RCC Mayor said, a tender has been invited amounting Tk 1,962 crore for the development of the city under 'Rajshahi City Combined Infrastructure Development' Project at a cost of Taka 2931 crore 61 lakh 81 thousand. The work order of the project worth Tk 1861 crore has been given and of the total project cost Tk 1,220 crore has already been released. For 2023-'24 FY, the government has allocated Tk 500 crore for the project.
Under the project, a Mural of Bangabandhu has been built and five fly-overs and one tunnel have been constructed to ease the traffic movement. The construction of three more flyovers at NatunBilsimla, Bandhagate and Natunpara railway crossing has been started and the design for building another tunnel at Bhadra crossing is being made. Under the project, the construction works of 250 km of Carpeting road, 265 km of Cement concrete road, 365 km of drains, 104 km of footpath, 15 public toilets, four ward council offices cum community centres, 10 footover bridges, development of the grave-yards, development of the natural water bodies, construction of four 'kutcha bazaars', construction of Miapara Public Library and Dharmasova are continuing.
Moreover, the works of development of Hazrat Shah MakhdumRuposhDargah at a cost of Tk 24 crore 84 lakh 27 thousand is continuing.
Among other development works, the construction of the Mausoleum of Shahid AHM Kamaruzzaman at a cost of Tk 30 crore 70 lakh has been approved by the government.
He further said, an international River Port will be set up in the river Padma near Rajshahi. The import of export of goods from India and Bangladesh will be conducted through the port. The port will connect Rajshahi to Maya of Murshidabad to Dhulian of West Bengal, India.
Regarding industrialisation and employment generation, RCC Mayor informed, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already approved three Industrial Region in Rajshahi. Of those, Tk 172 BSCIC Industrial estate-2 at Paba has already been implemented where 10,000 people will be employed. The effort of the construction of a Special Economic Zone and Leather Industrial Park is also in the tickets. Moreover, Rajshahi Medical University and the BKSP Project in Rajshahi will create thousands of employment opportunities. Skill Development Training Institute will be set at RCC Bhaban and Shahid AHM Kamaruzzaman Nursing College will be established, Rajshahi-Abdulpur railway tract will be turned to dual gauge line and Hazrat Shah Makhdum Airport will be turned to ann International Airport.
Operated by PRO of RCC MostafizMishu, the press conference was attended, among others, by councillorsNizamul Azim, Rajab Ali, TaheraKhatun, TouhidulHaqueSumon, Abdul Momin, Anowar Hossain, Rasel Zaman, Chief Executive Offier of RCC Dr ABM Sharif Uddin, Budget Cum Accounts Officer Shafiqul Islam Khan, RCC Executive Magistrate Sadia Afrin, Chief Health Officer FAM AnjumanAra Begum, Secretary ( in charge) Al Mahmud Rony, Chief Revenue Officer Abu Saleh Nur E sayeed, Chief Conservation Officer Mohammad Mamun and Accounts Officer NajamUl Huda.
