RTHD seeks 64pc more fund for next fiscal year

The Road Transport and Highways Division (RTHD) has sought an increased allocation of Tk 76.86 billion on top of the projection in medium-term budgetary framework (MTBF) for the next fiscal year (FY).
The division estimated it would require Tk 196.88 billion - 64 per cent higher than that of the MTBF-projected amount of Tk 120.01 billion - for the FY 2017-18 to implement different mega projects across the country.
RTHD secretary M A N Siddique recently sent a letter to senior secretary of Finance Division Mahbub Ahmed, seeking the increased budget, said an official.
There were 114 projects in the annual development programme (ADP) for the current FY and the number by now stood at 136 due to including 22 ones more. Officials expected more projects to be added in the rest six months of the FY.
Of the projects, some 42 were being implemented.
Currently, the division was taking and implementing new publicly important projects, apart from repairing and modification of the existing highways network, a senior official said.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has already approved some of the nationally important mega projects and some more would get its nod anytime soon.
"For this reason, the additional amount will be required in the next FY," a high official of the division told the Financial Express.
Of the total amount to be required for the next FY, Tk 30 billion would be spent on construction of Padma Bridge link road project, Tk 32.46 billion on mass rapid transit (MRT) line-06 project and Tk 107.75 billion on nine projects of national importance.
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