Govt deprived of huge revenue earnings from stone extraction in Panchagarh
Monday, 24 September 2007
Our Correspondent
NILPHMARI, Sept 23: The government is being deprived of huge revenue earning from stone extraction in the district, as there are no specific rules and regulations of revenue collection for extracting stone, sources said.
According to the sources, there is a huge deposit of stone underground in all the upazilas of the district. Extracted stones of the district are generally supplied to different districts for use in construction work.
Some 30,000 labourers are employed in stone extraction in the district and thousands of trucks carry stones to different parts of the country.
According to sources, there are nearly 1000 stone traders engaged in purchasing and selling the stones. But the government exchequer does not get much revenue, as there are no specific rules and regulation for revenue collection.
Meanwhile, Banglabandha land port in Panchagarh district earned only Tk 13 million (1.30 crore) in the previous financial year.
Sources said the land port is performing miserably from its very inception. It is supposed to celebrate its decade of inauguration this year, as the construction work had started in September 1997.
Banglabandha land port needs requisite infrastructure support including warehouse, truck parking yard, office complex, police barracks, bank, custom and immigration office and electricity.
Last years only Tk 362.3-million products were exported to Nepal through the land port. Bangladesh mainly imports lentil from Nepal.
Sources said poor functioning of the land port is mainly due to disagreement among India, Nepal and Bangladesh on some very minor issues. It is hoped that the concerned countries will overcome their differences for the proper functioning of the land port.
NILPHMARI, Sept 23: The government is being deprived of huge revenue earning from stone extraction in the district, as there are no specific rules and regulations of revenue collection for extracting stone, sources said.
According to the sources, there is a huge deposit of stone underground in all the upazilas of the district. Extracted stones of the district are generally supplied to different districts for use in construction work.
Some 30,000 labourers are employed in stone extraction in the district and thousands of trucks carry stones to different parts of the country.
According to sources, there are nearly 1000 stone traders engaged in purchasing and selling the stones. But the government exchequer does not get much revenue, as there are no specific rules and regulation for revenue collection.
Meanwhile, Banglabandha land port in Panchagarh district earned only Tk 13 million (1.30 crore) in the previous financial year.
Sources said the land port is performing miserably from its very inception. It is supposed to celebrate its decade of inauguration this year, as the construction work had started in September 1997.
Banglabandha land port needs requisite infrastructure support including warehouse, truck parking yard, office complex, police barracks, bank, custom and immigration office and electricity.
Last years only Tk 362.3-million products were exported to Nepal through the land port. Bangladesh mainly imports lentil from Nepal.
Sources said poor functioning of the land port is mainly due to disagreement among India, Nepal and Bangladesh on some very minor issues. It is hoped that the concerned countries will overcome their differences for the proper functioning of the land port.