By Md Aynal Haque

RAJSHAHI, Jan 5, 2024 (BSS)- Infrastructural development has uplifted the living and livelihood conditions of rural people coupled with boosting their level of confidence in the region, including its vast Barind tract, to a greater extent during the last 15 years.
 
The rural level improved infrastructures are contributing a lot towards socio-economic development through reducing transport cost, improving marketing system, increasing production and marketing facilities of agricultural products.

Grassroots people, including the marginalized and ethnic minority ones, are seen enjoying fruits of the development projects as those were implemented everywhere in eight districts under Rajshahi division during the last three consecutive terms of the present government.

The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has implemented the projects for increasing rural income and reducing rural poverty through sustainable economic growth, rural development and improved infrastructure. 

A seven-year project titled "Greater Rajshahi Division Integrated Rural Development" has been implemented in 31 Upazilas in Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon and Chapainawabganj districts with an estimated cost of around Taka 205.35 crore.

There were various types of infrastructure development and awareness building works, including upazila and union road, bridge and culvert on the upazila, union and village roads, rural market, tree plantation, sanitary latrine, tube well installation, livelihood and pro-poor institutional development, under the uplift scheme.
 
More than 64-kilometer upazila roads and 222-kilometer union roads alongside 986-meter bridges and culverts were constructed for overall improvement of the transport network of the rural area. 

A total of 31 rural markets were improved creating short and long - term employment opportunity, socioeconomic development and poverty alleviation 
Roadside tree plantation activities on the 159-kilometer improved roads were implemented successfully contributing a lot towards reducing carbon emission at a substantial level together with reducing the adverse impact of climate change in the vast Barind tract. 
 
Tubewell and sanitary latrines were provided to more than 7,120 poor and marginalized households for livelihood and pro-poor institutional development minimizing the spread of water-borne diseases in the region side by side with increasing the availability of safe drinking water. 

Another six-year project titled "Improvement of Rural Roads, Bridges, Culverts and other Infrastructure of Backward Upazilas" has been implemented removing physical bottlenecks towards improving rural accessibility coupled with enhancing the sustainability of rural transport and market services.
 
KM Zulfiker Ali, Additional Chief Engineer of LGED, told BSS that 105.70-km upazila roads, 323-km union roads and 502.74-km village roads were improved under the project implemented in 53 disadvantaged upazilas at a cost of around Taka 425-crore.
 
Besides, 1,000-meter bridges and culverts on the improved roads connecting important places of upazila and every union with Union Parishad and next higher road network were constructed.
 
Apart from, 15.75-km submergible roads and 4-km road protection infrastructures were constructed.

Construction works of 1,696.66 kilometer more rural roads together with 1.538 kilometer bridges and culverts are on the final stage aimed at socio-economic uplift of the region through overall rural infrastructure development.
 
Tk 2,080.40 crore project titled "Rajshahi Division Rural Infrastructure Development (Excluding Sirajganj District)" is being implemented in 58 upazilas for improving rural communication networks to facilitate farm and non-farm economy.

It will also upgrade the life standard of rural people through providing easier and quicker access to basic service delivery centers like schools and hospitals.
 
Engineer Zulfikar Al said they are constructing 172.9 kilometers of upazila roads with 140 meter bridges, 367.76 kilometers of union roads with 636 meter bridges and 1,156 kilometers of village roads, including 762 meter bridges under the five-year project.
 
The project has also provision of constructing 46 growth centres, 250 meter school connecting roads, 396.83 meter culverts and 33.28 kilometer RCC roads.

327.59 kilometer roads are being widened, while 171.07 kilometer village roads and 240.45 kilometer upazila roads are being repaired.

Professor Pronab Kumar Pandey of the Department of Public Administration at Rajshahi University opined that the physical infrastructures are contributing enormously to raising standard of living and livelihood conditions besides boosting the level of confidence of the villagers. 

Improvement of rural communication networks, including roads, bridges, culverts and other Infrastructure, is very important to attain the cherished goal of strengthening the farm and non-farm economy. 

Upgrading the life standard of rural people through providing easier and quicker access to basic service delivery centers like schools, hospitals and village markets has also become visible.