Budget cut leaves many development projects unfinished in Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI, Jun 2: Many development projects under Rajshahi Zila Parishad remained unfinished since the budget of the Parishad has been curtailed to about a half this year in comparison to that of last year.

According to a source of RZP, a total of 171 development projects at a cost of Tk 31.6 million are being implemented in Rajshahi city and in 9 upazilas of the district in 2013-'14 fiscal year under Rajshahi Zila Parishad. Out of these projects Tk 21.6 million is being spent for implementing 129 projects under common fund allocation project and Tk 10 million is being spent for implementation of 42 urban projects under Rajshahi city corporation.

The project works include repair and renovation of educational institutions, religious institutions like mosques, eidgah, majar, temple, church, socio-cultural institutions and repair and development of roads.

It is learnt, during the last fiscal 2012-'13, RZP implemented around 200 projects at a cost of Tk 64.4 million out of which common fund allocation for the project was Tk 24 million and as special allocation from Member of Parliament Fazley Hossain Badsha and Shahriar Alam was Tk 40 million. This year the fund allocation for implementation of various development works under RZP has been reduced to half compared to last year's fund allocation.

Chief Executive of RZP Sheikh Mujibur Rahman informed, most of the project works of the current fiscal year has been finished and the rests are expected to be finished by June 30.

Out of 42 projects which are being implemented by RZP in Rajshahi city include: renovation of Haragram Juma Mosque at a cost of Tk 1.4 million, renovation of Rajshahi Mohanagar College at a cost of Tk 0.8 million, improvement of Heritage Archives at Kajla at a cost of Tk 0.5 million, renovation of Ummum Kora Hafezia and Kariana Madrasha at Jharogram and renovation of Mezania Hafezia Madrasha at Nagarpara.

On the other hand, the development works which are being implemented under common fund allocation project include: renovation and repair of rooms and dormitory of Daukandi College under Durgapur Upazila at a cost of Tk 1.5 million, development of Bakra Uttarpara Juma Mosque under Charghat Upazila at a cost of Tk 0.8 million, development of Kanpara-Kalachand Majar at a cost of taka three lakh, repairing of class rooms at Ata Narayanpur High School under Mohanpur Upazila at a cost of Tk 0.4 million, development of Atghoria Bor Masjid at a cost of Tk 0.2 million and development of Char Nabinagar Junior High School at a cost of Tk 0.1 million.