Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has been implementing an integrated development project in greater Rajshahi division aims at improving overall living and livelihood condition of the rural people in general.
The seven year project titled “Greater Rajshahi Division Integrated Rural Development” is being implemented in 31 Upazilas in Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon and Chapinwabgonj districts with an estimated cost of around Taka 205.35 crore.
Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has been extending financial support worth around Taka 137.30 crore to implement the project that is being executed with the main thrust of increasing rural income and reduce rural poverty through sustainable economic growth, rural development and improve infrastructure.
There are various infrastructure development and awareness building works in the uplift scheme like upazila and Union road, bridge and culvert on the upazila, union and village roads, rural market, tree plantation, sanitary latrine, tube well installation, livelihood and pro-poor institutional development.
More than 64-kilometer Upazila roads and 222-kilometer Union roads alongside 986-meter bridges and culverts are being constructed for overall improvement of transport network of the rural area.
The improved transportation network will facilitate reducing the transportation cost and create marketing facility of the produce.
A total of 31 rural markets are being improved to create short and long -term employment opportunity, socioeconomic development and poverty alleviation. Participation of beneficiaries including women and local government institutions in planning, implementation and maintenance activities of the project will be intensified.
To this end, community people are being imparted training on campaigning and awareness building on health and nutrition.
Through road maintenance, interests of the beneficiary market laborers group and women market traders along with poor women traders are being protected.
There is also provision of strengthening the institutional capacities and skills of project beneficiaries, local government institutions in planning and implementing agency.
Roadside tree plantation activities on the 159-kilometer improved roads are progressing successfully that will ultimately help reduce carbon emission at a substantial level and that is very important to face the adverse impact of climate change in the vast Barind tract.
Tubewell and sanitary latrines are being provided to more than 7,120 poor and marginalized households for livelihood and pro-poor institutional development. Thereby, occurrence of water-borne diseases will be decreased while safe-drinking water supply infrastructure will face the existing water-stress challenge.
