The government has decided to carry out massive road infrastructure development work for widening local highways across the country. Preparations are afoot to place a project before the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) in this regard in its next meeting.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges is taking the project namely 'Improving the quality and breadth of the district highway from Keraniganj to Dhaka to Hasara in Munshiganj' to begin the programme. Its cost has been estimated at Tk 409 crore.
Meanwhile, the government has stepped up programme for rural infrastructure development and planned urbanisation of villages on high priority basis as highlighted in this year's budget.
Planning Minister MA Mannan said, "Most major infrastructure projects are entering the final stage of implementation. At this stage, it is important they get adequate allocation.
"But it is also time to focus on rural infrastructure development like widening of roads and improving their quality. We want a smooth transition to next phase of development," he said.
He said, the government will go for planned urbanisation of villages, so that all development like rural markets are not set up here and there to occupy unnecessary space. They must be on planned and connected with rural road network.
The sources said the Rural Government Ministry has already sent the Keraniganj-Dhaka-Munshiganj road widening project proposal to the Pre-Evaluation Committee (PEC) of the planning commission for final assessment. It will go to the ECNEC for approval next week.
Shamima Nargis, member, physical infrastructure division of the planning commission said that the road communication with the southern region with Dhaka need to be more secured and advanced with the implementation of the project.
She said "If the project is implemented, direct road connectivity will be established with Dhaka-Mawa National Highway and Jinjira-Keraniganj-Nawabganj-Dohar-Srinagar regional highways."
The people of the greater area will enjoy the benefits of secure and improved communication. This is why the project has been taken up and going to be approved, she said.
Keraniganj-Hasara-Birtara-Singapara-Kajolpur-Nagerhat road is an important district highway in Munshiganj district. The length of the road is 23.89 km, of which 23 km falls in the Munshiganj district while 0.89 km is located in Siradikhan upazila of Dhaka district.
The road connects the Dhaka-Mawa National Highway and the Jinjira-Keraniganj-Nawabganj-Dohar-Srinagar regional highway. The importance of this road as an alternative road to Dhaka-Mawa will greatly increase when the project is completed on completion of Padma Bridge.
