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Budget gives priority to rural development


Published : 14 Jun 2019 08:26 PM | Updated : 03 Sep 2020 01:20 AM

An amount of Tk. 66,234 crore has been proposed as budgetary allocation for rural development and agriculture sector in FY 2019-20.
The amount is around Tk 7000 crore more than the allocation of current fiscal 2018-19, Tk. 59,677. An increased allocation is given aiming to implement the government's electoral pledges to turn the villages into cities and ensure modernization of agriculture.

In his budget speech, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said “the state shall adopt effective measures to bring about a radical transformation in the rural areas through the promotion of an agricultural revolution, the provision of rural electrification, the development of cottage and other industries, and the improvement of education, communications and public health, in those areas, so as progressively to remove the disparity in the standards of living between the urban and the rural areas”

He said the government has focused on rural development through the slogan- ‘Village will be Town’. Following the concept of ‘My Village My Town’ as described in the Election Manifesto, 2018, we will ensure establishment of agricultural machinery service centers and workshops, generation of productive employment, manufacturing of light machinery, and credit facility for marketing at the village level retaining all the rural characteristics.

Civic amenities and facilities of the town will be made available in the villages to include modern transport infrastructures, creation of opportunities for modern health care and education, ensuring safe drinking water and sanitation, increasing electricity and fuel supply, and computers and high speed internet access. We will make necessary allocation for the relevant ministries.

At present 60 lakh poor families are organized through 1 lakh 1 thousand 42 village cooperative societies under the project of ‘My House, My Farm (Amar Bari Amar Khamar)’, a dream venture of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to alleviate poverty permanently by 2020. Around 95 thousand 386 co-operatives have been organized until March, 2019, under which the total number of direct and indirect beneficiaries is 2 crore 12 lakh 33thousand.

There is a target for construction of 5,500 km new roads and 30,500 metre bridge/culvert, maintenance of 13,000 km pucca road and 3,700 metre bridge/culvert, development of 190 growth center/markets, construction/expansion of 64 Upazila Complex buildings and 130 cyclone shelters along with different development activities in rural areas in FY2019-20.

Furthermore, steps have been taken for the construction of roads/footpaths, drainage, expansion of sewerage facilities, repair of roads, construction of bus/truck terminal, community centre, setting up of dustbin and waste management and construction of flyovers in important sites to reduce traffic jam in urban areas.

Moreover, the implementation of a modern innovative housing program, named ‘Palli Janapad’, is in progress along with the construction of roads, bridges and culverts, growth centers, hat-bazars, cyclone centers, the development of swamps, construction of sources of clean water and of drains, expansion of sewerage facilities, etc. in rural areas across the country as well as in the three Hill Districts.