Wide-ranging expansion of infrastructure development by the government has become a blessing for the rural people as their living and livelihood condition has been improved to a greater extent in the region.
In addition to the elevation of rural life and livelihood, the fair price of agricultural products along with creating employment has been ensured as a result of uplifting communication networks and market facilities during the last 15 years.
Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) implemented these projects, boosting agricultural production, smoothing transport systems, easing transportation, and bolstering the rural economy, especially in the vast Barind tract of the region.
More than 64 kilometres upazila roads and 222-kilometre union roads alongside 986-meter bridges and culverts have been constructed for the overall improvement of the transport network of the rural area.
The improved road network has been reducing the transportation cost by creating marketing facilities for agricultural products round the year.
On behalf of the project titled "Greater Rajshahi Division Integrated Rural Development", a total of 31 rural markets were improved for creating short and long-term employment opportunity, socioeconomic development and poverty alleviation.
LGED Additional Chief Engineer KM Zulfiker Ali said the seven-year project has been implemented in 31 upazilas in Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon and Chapainawabganj districts at a cost of around Taka 205.35 crore.
Participation of beneficiaries including women and local government institutions in planning, implementation and maintenance activities of the project was intensified, he said.
Ataur Rahman, Chairman of Badhair Union Parishad, said the uplift projects have infused dynamism into rural socio-economic activities together with bringing a positive change in the livelihood of grassroots people.
Community people have imparted training on campaigning and awareness building on health and nutrition, he said.
Interests of the beneficiary market laborers group and women market traders along with poor women traders were protected through road maintenance. Roadsides and tree plantation activities on the 159-kilometer improved roads have been done successfully contributing a lot to reducing carbon emissions in the vast Barind tract.
Tube wells and sanitary latrines were provided to more than 7,120 poor and marginalized households as occurrence of water-borne diseases has started decreasing.
Engineer Zulfiker Ali said the schemes of rural infrastructure development and the creation of short and long-term employment opportunities in the farm and off-farm sectors are assisting alleviation of rural poverty by involving rural people in economic and social activities.
Work of another project titled "Improvement of Rural Roads, Bridges, Culverts and Other Infrastructure of Backward Upazilas" was completed recently involving around Tk 425 crore.
A total of 53 disadvantaged upazilas in seven districts of the division were brought under the six-year project.
More than 105.70-km upazila roads, 323-km union roads, and 502.74-km village roads were improved besides the construction of 1000-meter bridges and culverts on the improved roads connecting important places of upazila and every union with Union Parishad and the next higher road network.
Apart from this, 15.75-km submersible roads and 4-km road protection infrastructures were constructed.
The rural-level improved infrastructures have already started reducing transport costs, improving the marketing system, and increasing production and marketing facilities of agricultural products.
Sub Assistant Agriculture Officer Atanu Sarker said the rural-level infrastructural developments have become boons of villagers in transporting and selling their agricultural products.
Lutfor Haider Rashid, Chairman of Tanore Upazila Parishad, said the implemented projects have started contributing enormously to raising the standard of living and livelihood conditions in the remote villages
