Planning ministry approves procurement of 300 double deckers, 100 buses

Planning ministry has approved procurement of 300 double deckers and 100 articulated buses under Indian line of credit to ease city's traffic congestion.
This was revealed at the fourth meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on the road transport and bridges ministry at the parliament building.
In the meeting, overall activities and future plans of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) were discussed. Progress in construction of the Paira Bridge and field level inspection report by the road transportation and bridges ministry on the upgradation of Dhaka-Chittagong Highway into four lane was presented at the meeting.
The committee asked the ministry to conduct drives by mobile court to gear up the work, improve traffic management and evict illegal markets on the highways.
Committee chairman Ekabbar Hossain chaired the meeting while other members including road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Qader, AKMA Awal, Rezwan Ahmed Toufiq, Nuruzzaman Ahmed, Nazmul Haq Prodhan, Monirul Islam and Lutfunnesa were present.
In a separate meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on the agriculture ministry, the scientists were advised to conduct research on inventing rice seed varieties which can give yield to the farmers in the shortest possible time and be cost effective and natural disaster tolerant. They also suggested to work on how to recover the old rice seed varieties.     
Committee chairman Makbul Hossain chaired the third meeting of the committee. Other members who were present include agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury, Abdul Mannan, Nazrul Islam Babu, AKM Rezaul Karim and Umme Kulsum.  
The committee advised the ministry to take necessary steps to provide quality seeds to farmers and supply soil test machines in every district through Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC).
In the meeting detailed discussion was held on the problems facing Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and how to solve those. It was informed that BRRI has been suffering from problems like inadequate manpower and budget, lack of zonal rice research institute and facilities in different area offices and inability to promote the scientists.

msshova@gmil.com