RAJSHAHI: A rural road development project is being implemented here for improving rural accessibility, enhancing sustainability of rural transport and market services, reports BSS.

Officials said implementation work of the six-year project titled ‘Improvement of Rural Roads, Bridges, Culverts and other Infrastructure of Backward Upazilas’ is now on the final stage with an estimated cost of around Taka 425 crore. A total of 53 disadvantaged upazilas under Rajshahi, Naogaon, Natore, Chapainawabganj, Pabna, Sirajganj and Bogra districts were brought under the project being implemented by Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).

Under the project, more than 105.70 km upazila roads, 323 km union roads and 502.74 km village roads were improved besides construction of 1,000 meter bridges and culverts on the improved roads connecting important places of upazila and Union Parishad and other road network.

Apart from this, 15.75 km submergible roads and 4 km road protection infrastructures are being constructed, said Ali Ahmed, Additional Chief Engineer of LGED, while talking to BSS here Monday.

The rural level improved infrastructures have already started reducing transport cost, improving marketing system, increasing production and marketing facilities of agricultural products which are contributing a lot of socio-economic development in the area.

Roadside tree plantation activities on the 85 km improved roads are progressing successfully to face the adverse impact of climate change in the vast Barind tract.A total of 15 growth centres are being improved to create short and long-term employment opportunity, socio-economic development and poverty alleviation. The improvement of the physical facilities of rural markets will ensure fair price of agricultural products and thereby provide incentives to increase agricultural production, assist enhancement of rural economic and commercial activities.

At least 95 per cent work has so far been completed and implementation of these schemes would in fact further strengthen the overall activities of rural markets at the grassroots level.

With infrastructure development of the selected area, rural communication network has been improved facilitating overall socio-economic advancement.

Engineer Ali Ahmed says the ongoing project is expected to be completed within near future. The improved transportation network will facilitate reducing the transportation cost and creating marketing facility of the produce.

On successful competition, the project will contribute enormously to raising standard of living and livelihood condition in the remote villages, he said.