Subcommittee to help draft upkeep policy

MUNIMA SULTANA | Published: March 26, 2021 20:36:12

A subcommittee has been formed to help the main committee draft a policy to maintain and operate rest houses meant for drivers of goods-laden transporters.
As the main committee was still to make headway, sources said, road transport and highways division on Sunday decided to form a panel to do so by March 31.
The main committee formed on March 14 with the additional secretary (admin) of the division as its head was supposed to submit the draft by March 30.
Sources said the committee sat in a meeting for the second time on Sunday without producing any result.
Roads and highways department is developing four rest houses with parking facility on four national highways after a prime minister's directive on June 24, 2018.
The PM asked the ministry concerned to build such facilities for goods drivers' rest at least five hours after driving with intent to reduce road accidents.
The four rest houses in Cumilla, Chapainawabganj, Magura and Habiganj were chosen in first phase targeting Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Rangpur, Dhaka-Khulna and Dhaka Sylhet highways.
Work on the building of two rest houses under the Tk 2.26-billion project finally began last year over a year after the ECNEC had okayed it on August 27, 2019.
According to officials, the rest two others could not be started due to land acquisition-related problems.
"As the rest house in Cumilla is due for completion by next September, the policy has been necessary to maintain and operate it," said additional secretary Mohammad Mohiuddin Khan.
As to why a subcommittee was required as the main committee was to accomplish the task, he said subcommittee members have been guided to incorporate technical issues in the policy.
"We'll finalise the draft after reviewing it," he told the FE.
According to the attendees of Sunday's meeting, the subcommittee was asked to address issues like physical facility and payment, structures, security and utility standard in the policy.
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