Gofran Biswas Palash, Kalapara (Patuakhali)

Rural villages in the coastal belt are now like a city due to Implementation of massive development works worth hundreds of crores taka by the Local Government Engineering Department ( LGED).

Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina promised 'villages will become cities' and this is now visible in coastal areas.

Once it used to take 8-10 hours to cross Kheya to Upazila Sadar, now it takes only 20-30 minutes due to construction of bridges, culverts and carpeting roads.

As a result, health, education, agriculture, fisheries sectors have a touch of modernity. The wheels of the rural economy have been set in motion.

Farmers, fishermen, small farmers, fish farmers are getting fair price by marketing their hard earned produce in short period of time. In short, LGED is implementing sustainable development plan in the rural areas of the coast with the aim of building a smart Bangladesh.

According to sources, Alipur-Chapli Bazar of the upazila is 12 k.m. carpeting road has been completed at a cost of Tk 6 crore 33 lakh, Bablatla Bazar-Chapli Bazar 7 k.m. carpeting road Tk 5.5 crore, Mohipur 2.1 k.m. carpeting road Rs 1 crore 30 lakh, Londa-Dhankhali 2.1 k.m. road 1 crore 79 lakhs, Lalua-Nilganj 2.8 k.m. road 2 Crore 44 Lakh Taka, Mahipur Fishery Port-Bipinpur-Komarpur 2 k.m. road 2 crore 44 lakhs, Dhankhali-Hafezpur 750 meters road 72 lakhs, North Chakamiya 1 k.m. road 93 lakhs, Barobaliatli-Dalbuganj 1 k.m. road 98 lakh Taka, Nilganj-Pakhsiapara 1 k.m. road 87 lakhs and Nilganj-Tongibaria 1 k.m. road has been completed at a cost of Tk 51 lakh.

Apart from this, construction of 3 k.m. road up to Dhulasar-Pakhsiaparahat-Boultali village has been completed at the cost of Tk 2.21 crore allocated in favor of the parliament member, Sultanganj Madrasa-Nilganj housing Kheyaghat 2 k.m. road at the cost of Tk 1.5 crore, Hajipur Roads and Highway- Hajipur High School road 1 k.m. at a cost of Tk 78 lakh, Itbaria Wapda Road-Itbaria Community Center 1.25 k.m. road at a cost of Tk 66 lakh, Adampur Bridge-Nilganj Fatehpur 600 meter road at a cost of Tk 50 lakh, Nilganj Union Parishad-Fatehpur Kheyaghat 600 meter road at a cost of Tk 43 lakh has been completed under the supervision of LGED. Besides, 12 km of rural road development at a cost of about 10 crore taka. New 1.5 k.m. road construction work at a cost of 1 crore proposals for road renovation work have been sent.

Besides, an allocation of Tk 6 crore for Lalua-Nilganj 6 k.m. renovation of the damaged road has been proposed. By receiving the allocation LGED will start the work after completing the tender process .

The source also said that the 677 meter Shaheed Nazrul Islam Bridge on the Kalapara-Baliatli-Gangamati road connecting 7 unions with the upazila headquarter at a cost of Tk 119 crore to facilitate the road communication, several thousand people of 6 villages of Nilganj and Mithaganj unions local government engineering department has completed the construction of a 54 meter long bridge over the Madukhali canal at the 7350 meter chainage of Pakhimara road at a cost of Tk 3.5 crore. At the final stage, there is a 45 meter long bridge over the Madhukhali Canal in Mithaganj Union at a cost of Tk 3 crore 29 lakh.

In addition, LGED has implemented the construction of the expanded administrative multi-storied building of Upazila Parishad at a cost of Tk 9 crore.

The construction of new school building with 6 boundary walls at a cost of Tk 8 crore has been completed to ensure a smart school campus and safe environment for primary level children. 10 works are in progress at a cost of Tk 15 crore and tenders are under process for construction of 15 new buildings at a cost of Tk 15 crore. The renovation works of 82 mosques and temples have been completed under the supervision of LGED at a cost of about 3 crore taka allocated in favor of Parliament Member.

15 are undergoing renovation work at a cost of Tk 57 lakh, 20 are under the process of inviting tenders for work worth Tk 60 lakh and 47 are awaiting approval of estimates at a cost of Tk 190 lakh.

LGED Upazila Engineer Kazi Faisal Bari Purno said, 'LGED has completed hundreds of crores of development work in this upazila in the last few years.

However, if we get a concession of Tk 206 crore from the greater Patuakhali Project, we can quickly implement the remaining unpaved roads of Kalapara Upazila and the culverts and bridges on various canals that have been included in the DPP.

Kalapara UNO Md. Jahangir Hossain said, 'Bangabandhu's daughter, Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has implemented development work worth lakhs of crores taka in coastal Kalapara along with the entire southern region.

Several mega projects including Payra Sea Port, Payra Thermal Power plant, Sher-e-Bangla Naval Base, Submarine Landing Station have been completed.

A number of mega projects, including several more thermal power plants, are awaiting implementation. If these mega projects are implemented, the lifestyle of people in this area will change. The country's economy will prosper.