Tk 13.93b project likely for 1,000 CHT villages

A Tk 13.93-billion project is well underway to generate income and employment opportunities in some 1,000 villages in the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) region.
Officials concerned said CHT Regional Council under the Ministry of CHT Affairs has undertaken the project for developing some infrastructures and implementing income-generating activities in Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari districts.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will lend financial support to the project, according to a ministry official.
"We'll work to develop skills of hilly rural residents and mobilise community organisations for non-farming activities," said a senior official.
The project will facilitate agricultural production of high-value, eco-friendly crops, and also ensure adequate storage and marketing in the hill districts.
Moreover, the ministry will build nine sophisticated watersheds, at least three in each three districts, with intent to protect, conserve and restore natural resources like land, water and vegetation.
It will also build 138.22-kilometre hilly roads, 95.44-metre new bridges and rehabilitate 40-metre existing bridges, according to the officials.
"Actually, we want to bring all the ethnic people and residents in the hill tracts into income-generation schemes through creating some employment opportunities," said another official of the ministry.
"Farm and non-farm activities will be enhanced there through this project," he added.
The project has been earmarked not only for building infrastructure, but also for training manpower and engaging them in different farm and non-farm activities in the hilly Bangladesh.
"The residents in hilly areas are deprived of some facilities that plain-land inhabitants enjoy. We want to bring those facilities to hilly areas through this project," the official concerned added.
"We've sent a Tk 13.93-billion development project proposal (DPP) styled 'Climate-resilient livelihood improvements and watershed management in CHT region' to the Planning Commission for approval."
The ministry has a plan to start the project this fiscal year (FY), 2023-24, which will end in FY2030.
The CHT Regional Council will be the lead agency for implementing the project while Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) and three hill district councils will be its associates.
According to the DPP, 2,100 new farmers will be trained for adopting good agriculture practices and 8,000 people be trained for some non-farm trading activities.
"By 2029, we'll train some 2,500 people for developing their non-farming skills so that they can earn Tk 12,000 per month in hill tracts," said the ministry.
At least 26,500 households will get easy access to portable water through the proposed watersheds in their residential areas, resulting in the saving of 50-per cent working hours for women.

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