Pomgaon set to become the first model village

Pomgaon, a remote village in Monoharganj of Cumilla, will be transformed into a model village under the “Bangabandhu Model Village” project.

The Department of Cooperatives under the Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Ministry has taken the initiative as the ruling Awami League’s election pledge to establish self-sufficient villages as dreamt by of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The initiative is taken under the “My Village, My Town” project. The government plans to establish 10 model villages with all modern urban facilities in nine districts.

The government has disbursed Tk 4993.90 crore already and plans to facilitate 5000 people living in these villages within June 2024, confirmed Dr Harun-ur-Rashid Biswas, registrar, and director-general of the Department of Cooperatives.

All civic amenities will be ensured in all the villages to reduce human pressure from the already-crowded capital, other metropolitan cities, and district towns. Cumilla’s Pomgaon will be our first pilot project, said the DoC DG.

Pomgaon, as a self-reliant village, will have electricity, water, health, education, improved sanitation, waste management, modern roads and bridges, markets, playgrounds, parks, and recreation centers. Small and large-scale industrial units will be set up in the village to create adequate employment opportunities, according to sources at LGRD ministry.

The initiative will lower the disparity and bridge towns and villages, they said.

“Different ministries will jointly take necessary steps to ensure all kinds of benefits to the citizens and we plan to achieve a 25 per cent increase in productivity in the agricultural sector of those 10 villages by ensuring the best use of natural and human resources of the village through this joint ventures,” said Harun-ur-Rashid.

“Each village will get their own cooperative societies to ensure their societal, cultural, and economic development. The government will also provide a loan of Tk 2 crore to the villagers under a minimal interest rate of only 3 per cent,” added Harun-ur-Rashid.

Along with Cumilla’s Pomgaon, Tungipara’s Patgati-Sriramkathi in Gopalganj, Charbhaga Miyarchar of Bhedarganj in Shariatpur, Mushuddi of Dharanbari in Tangail, Char Bhatiani of Madarganj in Jamalpur, Dongriya of South Sunamganj, Parala of Manirampur in Jashore, Ratiya in Mithapukur in Rangpur, Hosnabad of Gouranadi and Char Komisonar of Muladi in Barishal will soon be transformed into model villages, the LGRD ministry officials said.