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Rail on priority, roads ignored

Staff Correspondent
While delivering the budget speech yesterday, the finance minister gave some hope for the development in the railway sector but painted a disappointing picture on improving road communication and easing traffic congestion.
Although the proposed allocation for the railway sector in the upcoming year rose to Tk 10,390 crore from Tk 7,450 crore, Muhith failed to say anything specific about construction of Padma Multipurpose Bridge, a major electoral pledge of the Awami League government.
He, however, said the construction work of the bridge will begin soon, but did not say who will construct it and what will be the source of the fund.
“There are several proposals under PPP and from development partners which are awaiting the government's decision,” he said.
Many important projects in road sector remain stalled due to fund crisis while progress on construction of metro rail and Dhaka Elevated Expressway is not in sight despite highest political commitment of the government.
Though, the upgradation work at Dhaka-Chittagong, Joydevpur-Mymensingh and Nabinagar-DEPZ-Chandra
highways is going on at a snail's pace, the finance minister claimed that their upgrading works are going on in full swing.
He also said a flyover has been opened for cargo transportation at Chittagong port while the construction of five more flyovers has been in the pipeline. Construction work of Kuril and Gulistan-Jatrabari flyovers has got momentum, the minister claimed.
There is little hope of circular waterway and railway around Dhaka city to ease traffic movement despite Muhith's pledge made last year and this year.
HOPE FOR RAILWAYS Finance minister proposed an allocation of around
Tk 5,000 crore for the development in the railway sector. But the railway officials concerned said the allocation is very inadequate.
Muhith said Line of Business (LOBs) has been introduced in the railway sector as the government has decided to turn the Bangladesh Railway into a corporate organisation.
“We are considering a total of 231 projects at a cost of Tk 1,25,929 crore under a 20-year roadmap plan to turn the railway into a modern mode of transport sector by improving its services,” he said, adding that some locomotives have already been added to the sector while a good number of locomotives, wagons, coaches would be added in future.
But construction works of double rail lines between Dhaka-Chittagong, third and fourth lines between Dhaka-Tongi and another line between Dhaka-Narayanganj are only at their primary stages.
On the other hand, the government failed to start the construction works of Dohazari-Ramu-Cox's Bazar and Ramu-Dundum new rail tracks in a year.
Railway officials said the government gave emphasis on developing railway sector. But, it entirely depends on the implementation of the projects undertaken by the government.
The government should create a special fund for development in the railway sector, they observed.