UNB, Dhaka :Apart from Mymensingh division, the country will get two more administrative divisions as part of the government’s efforts to decentralise the administration, ensure people’s empowerment and reach the services to the doorsteps of the common people.The Cabinet in this connection directed the Cabinet Division to examine the feasibility and utility of establishment of two other administrative divisions-one in greater Faridpur and another with greater Comilla and greater Noakhali splitting the Chittagong division.The Cabinet also directed the Cabinet Division to take necessary steps for forming a new administrative division in greater Mymensingh.The directives came from the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at the Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the Cabinet Division would now form an inter-ministerial committee, examine the implications and then submit its recommendations before the National Implementation Committee on Administrative Reforms (NICAR) for final decision.NICAR, headed by the Prime Minister, will decide the formation of the new division with which districts and what would be its population size and which offices would be set up.He said, the Prime Minister at the meeting observed that although there is no such necessity now to form new Division, new district and new thana following the massive development of the country’s communication system, but in order to decentralise the government, ensuring people’s empowerment and reach the services to the doorsteps of common people, the Cabinet gave the directives to form new administrative Division.Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said before taking of the final decision at NICAR, the Cabinet Division will form an inter-ministerial committee, examine the implications and then put forward a detailed proposal with necessary recommendations to NICAR.The Cabinet also approved in principle the draft of the ‘Bangladesh Tea Bill, 2015′ aimed at development and flourishing of the country’s tea industry.The Cabinet Secretary said the original law was an ordinance promulgated and amended during the martial law regime in 1977 and 1986 respectively.As per the earlier Cabinet decision of updating and drafting of ordinances promulgated during the martial regimes in Bangla, the Ministry of Commerce prepared the draft.The proposed law has a provision of minimum six months and maximum two years’ imprisonment for violating the law.The Cabinet also approved in principle the draft of the ‘Bangladesh Tea Workers Welfare Fund Bill, 2015’ aimed at ensuring welfare of the tea workers.The Cabinet Secretary said monetary figure of the existing welfare fund with Tk-one crore seed money could be enhanced by the government contributions or owners of the tea industry.The fund would be utilised for the education of the children of the workers and health care for their family members and marriage of their children.The Cabinet meeting was also apprised about the comparative socioeconomic advancement and macro-economic status during the period of 2009-2010 to 2013-2014 with 2001-2002 to 2005-2006.The report submitted by the Finance Division said that there was macroeconomic stability in the last five years as there was steady growth as well as marked improvement in the key economic indicators.The report said the average GDP growth over the last five years was 6.14 percent, the public investment rose to 7.3 percent in the last five years compared to 5.6 percent during the BNP-Jamaat rule, the power generation capacity in the last five years tripled while the per capita income doubled, the revenue-GDP ratio rose to 10.5 percent in the last five years from 8.5 percent during the BNP-Jamaat government.
